kidsafeworld (1)KidsSafe Network

Ensure Your Staff Doesn’t Have A Background That Could Put Your Kids At Risk Of Abuse

All too frequently, we read stories in our daily newspapers, see on the nightly news, or hear about yet another child who is the victim of abuse at the hands of a person who was given responsibility for the protection and safety of that child. Often, the person is found to have a criminal history of similar abuses or who is otherwise not fit to care for vulnerable individuals.

The emotional scars these children must live with can last their entire lifetime and the reputation of the organization in which the abuse occurred can be destroyed forever.

Such abuses occur in preschools, camps, martial arts schools, dance/gymnastic studios, YMCAs, youth clubs/groups, sports programs, day-care programs or anywhere else children are being supervised by adults.

Obviously, the safety of the children is an important consideration for parents, employers and state lawmakers. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that any individual who is responsible for the care of children — whether as an employee or as a volunteer — should be subjected to a comprehensive and thorough background check.

Of greatest importance, such a check goes a long way towards keeping children safe — but they also protect the employer. If you don’t perform a check and a worker or volunteer harms a child in your care, you may be held responsible for anything that happens.

The problem is that performing a background check specific for individuals who work with children is complicated. You must decide the necessary elements of the check to do, identify the best resources to complete each element of the check and then manage the logistics of getting the check completed.

Just doing the first step — deciding what elements to check that will help keep your children safe and provide the appropriate level of protection for you — can be overwhelming.

For example, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP – http://www.ojjdp.gov) has published a 61-page set report titled: Guidelines For the Screening of Persons Working With Children, The Elderly, and Individuals With Disabilities In Need of Support. These guidelines are not mandatory but do present advice on an elaborate three-step process for establishing a policy that provides an appropriate level of screening based upon specific situations. Just reading through the guidelines is complicated but figuring out what to do based on the guidelines is overwhelming.

But, you need to do something.

The OJJDP fact sheet about this report states: “screening those who care for children and other at-risk individuals is a critical first step to detecting abusers before they can inflict harm on their victims.”

Beyond the complexity, performing an adequate child-caregiver background check is also expensive and time-consuming.

It’s for all these reasons that the KidsSafe Network was formed to provide a simple, fast and cost-effective mechanism for an employer to run background checks specific for workers or volunteers who work with children.

The KidsSafe Network provides a comprehensive and thorough background check to enable you to make safe and informed decisions, avoid costly litigation, reduce risk, protect your organization and enhance productivity by delivering accurate and thorough results quickly. Our systems are secure, easy to use, and quickly deliver the comprehensive, accurate results you need.

To learn what’s included in the KidsSafe
background check, Click Here

For more details on the advantages of a
KidsSafe background check, Click Here

Because screening is not a guarantee that abuse will not occur, it is critical that you incorporate screening as a part of broader abuse prevention policies and practices. Therefore, the KidsSafe Network also provides a variety of resources and ongoing education on preventing child abuse.

Additionally, KidsSafe maintains an online national registry of individuals who have passed the KidsSafe background check. Organizations can point concerned parents to this registry to confirm the individuals who are caring for their children have been appropriately screened. Entire facilities can also become KidsSafe certified by meeting specific organization-wide requirements (see below).

Here Is How To Get Started:

Performing a KidsSafe background check on an individual is simple, fast and cost-effective. Here are the steps:

  1. The individual being checked clicks on the Order Now button below and pays the fee
  2. They are then redirected to our online KidsSafe portal where they agree to check and fill out a simple form
  3. They are then redirected to a site where they can find a local testing lab in our network
  4. Individuals will receive an email notification when the results are ready (usually within 72 hours of submission) with instructions on how to login to access the background report.
  5. The individual then prints out the report and brings it to you for review

To view a sample KidsSafe background
check report, Click Here

KidsSafe will also be notified of the results. If the individual passes the screening, you can decide to have them added to the online KidsSafe Network Registry. We will then send you a KidsSafe certificate you can print and frame, a KidsSafe ID card you can print and keep in your wallet, and a sample press release you can distribute to your local media.

Order Now

Learn about becoming a KidsSafe Certified Facility

You will also receive access to our online resource center where you can access information about preventing child abuse and promoting your involvement with the KidsSafe Network. We will also notify you of our regularly-scheduled webinars on such topics as:

  • Safely Screening Staff
  • Understanding and Managing Perceptions
  • Explaining Allegations
  • Defending Investigations
  • Supervising Children
  • Conducting Office Interviews
  • Use of Recording Devices in School
  • Documentation incidents for later reference
  • Purpose of managing Daily Log Book
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