Fingerprinting for Childcare & Adoption
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Fingerprinting for Childcare & Adoption
Dec 2008
We are trying to adopt from Ethiopia and my fingerprints have been
rejected twice because they are too light. Our adoption agency is
telling us that it is taking 7 months for the FBI to do a ''name
only'' check. AHH! Does anyone have any ideas?
Are you fingerprints being taken with a machine or with ink and
paper? The machine will immediately kick back prints that won't
pass, including (my problem) prints that aren't deep enough to
match your given age! This means you can try again and again
until they pass. I'm not sure how you could get this done but I
think the FBI can specifically take your prints for this with the
'machine'.
Who knew you could have young fingerprints!
Change fingerprint agency, it happened to me twice, I am a
teacher and it took them months to get back to the school saying
that my fingerprints were rejected. Then, I found out that if
the agent that is doing the fingerprint job didnt know how to do
the job right, that she/he needs to clean very well the glass in
these machines, the way that she/he needs to press your fingers
on the machine, etc....I tried a new agency and my fingerprints
went through no problem and we got the response in less than a
month.
Elena
You didn't say where you were getting your fingerprints done,
when I was adopting I was advised to have it done at a police
station, because they were the best at getting good prints.
anon
I had a similar problem when I was trying to adopt. After the
second failed attempt (computer could not 'read' my
fingerprints), the adoption agency had me sign a document
certifying that I had no criminal record, had a clean
background, etc. Maybe your agency can offer something like
that? I now work at my child's preschool; in order to work
there I had to be fingerprinted and had the same problem again.
I was told the same thing about the manual FBI check - that it
would take months. It actually only took about 6 weeks, if that.
So if you can't sign a statement with the agency and have to go
the 'manual check' route, just start it ASAP and hope for the
best. Good luck to you!
anon
As an HR Manager I have extensive experience with
fingerprinting and submissions to the FBI and DOJ. Many people
including myself have difficult to read fingerprints due to low
ridges. In our office we use a digital system for fingerprints,
which allows us to ''see'' the fingerprints on a computer prior
to submission. The El Cerrito Police Department uses this type
of system as well and you can make an appointment to have your
fingerprints scanned there and the results sent to any
authorized DOJ registered entity, agency or employer. Final
suggestion, there is a lotion, the police station actually has
it there, that is used in autopsies to raise the ridges of the
fingerprints. Grim, but it works and will get you the results
you need. Good Luck!
East Bay Mom
Feb 2002
I will soon be placed with a baby through a foster/adopt program. The
program demands that anyone who cares for the child (including daycare,
nannies, etc.) must be fingerprinted and have a child-abuse screen. This
seems like an important thing to do, but in the listings I read on the
Network for nannies, there is never any mention of it. Does this commonly
get done? Will it be hard to find a nanny if this is a requirement? It can
take a couple of months for the fingerprint screens to come back, so it
would be hard to get a nanny at short notice if they are not commonly
getting screened for a child abuse history. I prefer a nanny or a nanny
share rather than daycare for a baby. Any feedback would be welcome.
A soon to be Mom
Licensed daycares and preschools are required by the State of California
to have fingerprinting done
for all staff. Most local daycares and preschools are licensed. So as
long as you don't stumble into an unlicensed daycare (and you should always
make sure they are licensed), you are fine. As for nannies, there is no
State licensing for them. Some nannies do get fingerprinted through the
state-run Trustline system. You can look them up - see their website
trustline.org. So just stick to nannies that have registered
with Trustline.
When I became a nanny 7 years ago, the 2 nanny agencies I got my jobs
through required I be fingerprinted through a place called trustline(?). It
cost around $100 and they did the fingerprinting at the police station so I
would imagine all the agencies still do it today.
there is a company called Trustline which you can go to online and find out
more info...they do fingerprints and background checks for about $130 I
think...it does take several months...the nanny agencies automatically get
it done for their nannies but the cost of a nanny out of an agency is about
$500-1000 aside from whatever hourly rate you pay depending on how much time
you are using.
Sharon
Anyone who works with children (from daycare to mentorship programs) are
usually now required to be fingerprinted. I believe it might be a state
requirement at this time. Don't be alarmed, although I didn't like the idea
of it, they are just trying to make sure they keep our children safe!!!
anonymous
I'd suggest that you find someone that worked for a preschool, or someone
who is registered with Trustline (I'm not sure how to contact them these
days, try a google serach?). It is a fairly typical requirement, especially
for good daycares.
Feel free to contact me!
Rachel
It was my impression that fingerprinting for day care providers was
mandatory in this country. Unless you are just a neighbor or a relative in a
non-licensed care facility, you must be fingerprinted and undergo a
background check. This is to prevent child molestors from coming into
contact with children.
This screening should be included in any resume presented to you from
prospective nannies. They should all be licensed with a number you can check
on. You need to be very careful about this.
You can also go to your local police department and check on individuals.
marianne
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