Posts Tagged ‘Parents’
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
It’s an interesting question: Who pays for background checks?
Is it the employer? The potential employee? The school? The school would-be volunteer? The nanny? The parents of the kids the nanny will be watching?
In a nutshell, the answer is a bit convoluted because it depends.
Most employers pay for background checks themselves. They simply consider it a cost of doing business and an insurance policy against making terrible hiring decisions. However, there are some companies that are moving to making the possible employee pay for his or her background check; we’d suggest looking into the legality of doing so depending upon your field.
As for nonprofit organizations, a good deal require that potential volunteers pay for their own background checks. That way, the entity doesn’t have to use funds to do so, and they ensure that any volunteers really want to be there since they’ve already used their own monies for clearances and background screening.
At this point, we’d really like to know your thoughts on the subject…
Have you ever paid for a background check to be performed on you? Would you? Conversely, have you ever made someone pay to have a background check report run on him or her?
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Tags: background check, Background Checks, background screening, Decisions, Doing Business, Insurance, Insurance Policy, Monies, Nanny, Nonprofit Organizations, Nutshell, Parents, Volunteers
Posted in Background Checks and Screening | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
With the start of schools around the country, there has been a subtle flurry of headlines related to parents who are unable to volunteer at their children’s schools. Though it might immediately sound like the moms and dads are being denied access to their kids, it’s more likely that they couldn’t pass a background screening process.
Many schools have begun adopting a policy that only allows adults to volunteer if they can pass a basic background screening. Typically, these types of background screenings check criminal histories (e.g., sex crimes, drug problems) and, if the volunteer position involves handling money, credit histories as well.
If the parents do not pass, the school is left with no choice but to deny them the opportunity to volunteer.
While there are certainly some groups that feel it’s “unfair” to use background screenings in this manner, we believe that it’s a great way to protect children from would-be predators. Without background screening measures in place, the unthinkable can (and, unfortunately, sometimes does) occur. And no school can afford that.
In the end, it’s better for everyone… even if it does ruffle a few feathers along the way.
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Tags: Adults, background check, Background Checks, background screening, Background Screenings, Being Denied Access, Credit Histories, Criminal Histories, Feathers, Headlines, Moms, Money, Opportunity, Parents, Predators, Screening Measures, Sex Crimes, Unthinkable, Volunteer Position
Posted in Schools | No Comments »
Friday, August 6th, 2010
Go to any school zone and you’re bound to see a lot of things, such as backpacks, brown lunch bags and the ever-present crossing guard. But just because they’re there doesn’t mean they should be… especially if they haven’t been rigorously background checked.
If it seems too outrageous to even consider that a crossing guard could be anything but sweet and protective, think again. Any person can apply to any job… including a person who has a criminal record. And if they aren’t screened, those individuals could easily have access to kids.
So what is a parent to do? First of all, any mom or dad should ask about crossing guards — who employs them, whether they are background checked, etc. If they haven’t been screened, parents should demand to know why. And if they have, parents should definitely make it a point to meet the crossing guards if at all possible.
Above all else, it’s a safety precaution… and our children deserve to be safe.
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Tags: back to school, Background Checks, Backpacks, Bound, Criminal Record, Crossing Guards, Dad, Job, Lot, Lunch Bags, Mom, Parents, Safety Precaution, School Question, School Zone
Posted in Schools | No Comments »
Monday, June 28th, 2010
‘Tis the season for kids’ camps galore! And while that’s a very good thing for both the youngsters and their parents, it’s critical for moms, dads and grandparents to make sure that all camp personnel are background checked.
It might surprise many parents and guardians to learn that background checking of camp counselors, coaches, etc., is not standard. In fact, many camps background check no one from the top down. There’s just a cursory interview, possible checking of references, and, voila, the camp employees are given carte blanche to have access to kids.
This isn’t meant to terrify parents or to keep children from ever going to camps, of course. It’s just meant as a serious warning.
Parents need to ask the following questions BEFORE allowing any camp to have access to their sons or daughters:
1. Has your camp staff been background checked? If so, by whom?
2. What is the criteria for camp staff to be accepted by the camp?
3. Do you check sex offender registries before hiring camp staff?
4. How much access do camp staff have to be alone with any one camper?
5. What background checking company do you use?
Again, this makes sense… and it also helps avoid a serious issue. Though some moms and dads might feel awkward with these inquiries, they’ll be happy they asked. And the kids will, too.
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Tags: background check, background checking, Background Checks, Camp Counselors, Camp Staff, Camper, Carte Blanche, Dads, Grandparents, Guardians, Inquiries, Kids Camps, Moms, Parents, Sex Offender Registries, Voila, Youngsters
Posted in Camps and Recreation | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
The Connecticut DMV has a new law to follow: All employees who are involved in making and issuing driver’s licenses and IDs must now be thoroughly and professionally background checked to increase the safety of the public.
This move, signed in to law by Governor M. Jodi Rell, comes after concerns involving school bus drivers who were not property screened before getting their licenses.
The big question for parents everywhere (not just in the state of Connecticut) remains: What kind of person is the individual driving my son/daughter’s bus?
If you’re not absolutely certain that background screening is necessary for everyone involved in the bus driver hiring process (including the potential driver), it’s time to pick up the phone and make a call. Otherwise, you might find out the hard way that nothing is being done to protect your kids.
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Tags: Background Checks, background screening, Bus Driver, Connecticut Dmv, Connecticut Governor, hiring process, M Jodi Rell, Parents, School Bus Drivers, State Of Connecticut
Posted in Background Checks and Screening, Schools, Security Risks | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
Will performing background checks on prom guests raise the safety standards for those attending the dance? A school in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, area thinks so.
Attendees of prom at Southwest High School have to follow strict guidelines to get into the event, and those guidelines include a rather surprising addition: Any guests can be background checked prior to the prom (guests must be pre-registered) by school officials.
Not surprisingly, some students are finding this to be a problem, while others are shrugging their shoulders. Parents are reacting similarly. But the school is serious about cracking down on problems that have recently been plaguing proms — gang-related activity, much older guests, etc.
What’s your opinion? Should background checks be performed on prom guests?
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Tags: Attendees, Background Checks, Gang Related, Minneapolis St Paul, Parents, Paul Mn Area, Prom, Safety Standards, School Officials, Shoulders, Southwest High School, St Paul Mn, Strict Guidelines
Posted in Background Checks and Screening, Schools | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
A new story from ESPN highlights just how important thorough criminal background checks are when it comes to sports coaches working with kids.
USA Swimming has concluded that many previously-convicted child molesters have been able to slip through incomplete background checking systems and snag coaching positions that allow them to continue to abuse young persons.
As a result of this investigation, more complete background checks (including more in-depth criminal ones) will now be mandated for USA Swimming coaches. As always, we encourage parents of any sport-playing child to demand that any person working with their youngster — whether volunteer or paid staff — be completely vetted.
After all, no organization — even the large USA Swimming — can afford this kind of national scandal.
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Tags: Child Molesters, Criminal Background Checks, Criminal Checks, Espn, Parents, Scandal, Snag, Sports, Swimming Coaches, Usa Sex, Usa Swimming, Volunteer, Working With Kids, Young Persons, Youngster
Posted in Background Checks and Screening, In the News | No Comments »
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
Out of Denver, CO, comes a report that community gardeners are now being expected to undergo background checks.
What is a “community gardener”? In the mile-high city, it’s those who, as the article says, “pay a small fee to grow veggies and flowers in fenced-in plots on the grounds of public schools.”
Not surprisingly, the background checks are being seen in a couple of different lights. The gardeners feel it’s an intrusion, whereas the parents and guardians of kids are pleased with the idea.
What is your feeling on the policy?
If you were a gardener, would you care? If you were a parent of a school-aged child, would you support making everyone on school property pass a criminal background check?
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Tags: Background Checks, Community Gardeners, Criminal Background Check, Denver Co, Flowers, Gardener, Guardians, Intrusion, Mile High City, Parents, Veggies
Posted in Background Checks and Screening, In the News | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
A report from Nashville, Tennessee’s NewsChannel5.com reveals what we’ve seen more and more often recently: School districts that are mandating all parent volunteers go through background checking.
Although many parents don’t appreciate the idea of being forced to prove they are safe to work with kids, most are understanding of the process. And why shouldn’t they? Background screening of all parent volunteers is a good way to ensure the safety of children (not to mention other volunteers and school staff members.)
We’d like to know if your local school district(s) have adopted a policy of background checking parent volunteers? If so, how was the policy received?
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Tags: background check, background checking, Background Checks, background screening, Local School District, Nashville Tennessee, Newschannel5, Parent Volunteers, Parents, School Districts, School Staff Members
Posted in Schools | No Comments »
