Tips For Screening Staff Applicants When Opening A Daycare

2008-01-12 Word Count: 559 Category: Home Based Business

When choosing to open a daycare center, it is essential to conduct preemployment background screens. There are two main reasons for performing this step. The first reason is to verify that the person applying for a position within your child care center is who they claim to be. The second reason is to research any criminal history that may pose an issue to the children and staff of your daycare facility. Many preemployment background checks are also used to determine if an individual has used recreational drugs by way of a standard drug test. Preemployment background screens are essential to any business when looking to avoid legal challenges.
When someone applies to your new daycare business, it is imperative to have a preemployment background screen contract available. This form should inform the potential employee that they are providing you with the permission to conduct an investigation on them. If the screening includes a drug panel, they must also have an area in which they can have the option to consent to this as well. Many companies choose to make consent necessary for employment consideration. Being that you are opening a child care service center, this is something you should definitely consider. You cannot afford to endanger the safety of the children that you will be responsible for.
Naturally, due to time constraints on you and the specialized nature of the background checks you will need to outsource to a dependable company. Research different options and haggle for a good rate, many companies offer discounts to new business and businesses that deal with children. Check with existing, reputable daycares what companies they use and what rates they are paying. Also, contact your insurance provider to determine if, because you require background screening at your facility, you are eligible for discounts.
When conducting a preemployment background screens, it is important to understand that there is certain information that you are not permitted, by law, to use in determining an individual to be worthy of employment for a daycare center. An example would be a disability. Other examples of items that should not be used in determining employment at your new child care center include previous debts, low credit scores, and medical conditions. However, if any of these items pose a significant danger to the overall health of the daycare establishment, you may use these things as determining factor. An example would be a severely contagious disease.
Realize that timing is vital when organizing your background checks for potential employees of your new daycare business. The results may take up to two weeks to return although many companies may respond in as little as three days. However, these services will be relatively more expensive. So, plan your recruitment drive with this point in mind. It is important for you to place the returned screening in a file designed to track documents on that particular person in your daycare center. This is sensitive and personal information so keep it in a secure place.
Finally, when opening your daycare center you should perform background checks on all employees not just those working directly with the children. So, you might consider your cook, administrator or janitor - anyone that will be working in your center with access to the children, however limited. Remember, the safety and welfare of the children is paramount at all times.

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Fiona Lohrenz shares her 10 years experience of running a day care on her website where you'll also find her 'Start a ChildCare Business' DVD guide: StartChildCare.com (www.startchildcare.com) She can be reached at: ChildCareOnly.com (www.childcareonly.com)