OLYMPIA – Many people don’t know that, under current law, fingerprint-based background checks for child-care providers are only done on applicants who have not lived in Washington for at least three years. Everybody else gets a standard background check. Advocates have been pushing for more safety measures for over 16 years, and they finally saw their work come to fruition as Governor Gregoire signed House Bill 1903 into law yesterday afternoon. The new law requires all first-time child-care applicants to get both fingerprinted and go through a criminal history background check. 
“My bill will give parents more peace of mind knowing that their children really are in safe hands, and it will also make the process less convoluted and less costly for the child-care providers,” said state Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines), the bill’s prime sponsor. “So it really is good news for everyone involved.”
Extra level of safety for children:
The background checks currently done only disclose Washington state criminal history – applicants fill out paperwork and a check is run using their name and date of birth. Fingerprint checks go through FBI databases and are much more accurate; they will reveal not only criminal convictions but also child safety related violations. Additionally, fingerprint checks pick up a person’s history outside of Washington state, as well as catch issues related to aliases or changed names.
Streamlines process for providers:
Under current law, when child-care providers move from one facility to another they have to go through the background check process each time they move – or if they work at more than one facility. With this new law they will be able to take their certificate anywhere they go within the state and be ready to start working immediately without having to go through the background process again. It’s a “portable” certificate, yet that applicant has had a higher level of screening via the fingerprint background check.
Orwall’s bill directs the Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) to create a background check pool and issue cards to those who pass the screening. The background check will be valid and portable for up to three years.
“By making the fingerprint and background check individual-focused instead of location-focused, we’re increasing safety, reducing costs and improving efficiency,” Orwall added.