Caregiver’s & Criminal History; Challenges to Protecting At-Risk Populations

Caregiver’s & Criminal History; Challenges to Protecting At-Risk Populations

One of the many benefits of background screening is protecting at-risk populations, such as the elderly and children, and everyone in-between.

When conducted in a fair and equitable manner, one that is nondiscriminatory and lawful, background screening can be a great risk mitigation tool.

Adam Almeida, President and CEO, opines: “Background screening can verify information on resumes, provide details through the use of public records, and help hiring managers, for paid and unpaid positions, have greater information to make important decisions.”

In Buffalo, New York a caregiver facility is faced with the implementation of new regulations designed to further protect at-risk populations.

From WKBW.com (Oct. 28, 19):

New state and federal regulations are now in place for daycares around New York State, that bring daycare providers up to a more rigorous standard, protecting your children from potential predators. ⁽¹⁾

Almeida states: “Enhancing background screening requirements is always a good idea, especially when protecting at-risk populations. Thorough background checks, ones that include a full array of screening reports, can only improve risk management, and, further, mitigate that risk.”

At the Buffalo facility one worker appears to agree with the direction law has taken.

From WKWB.com (Oct. 28, 19):

"It should have been implemented from the beginning," ... "There's no reason that we weren't checking a complete background history from state to state...but the benefit of it is, that we will have a complete background history and it's important." ⁽²⁾

However, policies are only as good as how they are being fulfilled. Failure to follow policy can open the door to malfeasance and discrimination.

In Roselle, Illinois a football coach was removed once his past came to light. And it appears that policy was not followed and the coach was allowed to work with and amongst children.

From WGNTV.com (Nov. 07, 19):

The head football coach at Lake Park High School was removed from his coaching duties earlier this week after an investigation found a convicted sex offender was allowed to help coach the team.

Lake Park High School District 108 administration launched an investigation after it came to light that a volunteer varsity football coach was convicted of sexually abusing a minor in 1992. ⁽³⁾

Similar challenges occurred in Ontario, Canada (Nov. 14, 19):

The Ontario Minor Hockey Association is investigating, two Windsor Minor Hockey Association board members have resigned and parents have been summoned to a meeting Friday after court documents from the United States show a local peewee coach has a criminal record in three states and two arrest warrants.

… admitted in a plea agreement in U.S. District Court in Arizona in 2017 that he had been convicted of aggravated assault, a felony, in Florida in 2001 and sentenced to 90 days incarceration. ⁽⁴⁾

“In the end,” Almeida states, “any company or organization working with at-risk populations should ensure they utilize the most thorough background screening packet, one that utilizes a full array of screening reports such as criminal history, sex offender registry, nationwide criminal record check and others. Further, working with a third party background screening agency, such as CriminalBackgroundRecords.com, remains a best practice.”

CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is a third-party employment screening company, an advocate of SHRM, a member in good standing with the PBSA (Professional Background Screening Association) and maintains an A+ Rating with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) that can provide compliant solutions for all screening requirements. From pre-employment to post-hire screening, as well as volunteer, caregiver and nanny checks, CriminalBackgroundRecords.com provides background screening services across a broad array of industries. From the smallest organization to the largest corporation, CriminalBackgroundRecords.com can fulfill every background screening requirement.

Notes:

1. wkbw.com/news/i-team/new-background-checks-implemented-to-protect-kids-at-daycare
2. ibid.
3. wgntv.com/2019/11/07/if-we-dont-condemn-it-we-condone-it-victim-of-volunteer-coachs-sexual-abuse-in-the-90s-speaks-out/
4. windsorstar.com/news/local-news/court-documents-reveal-peewee-hockey-coachs-criminal-record-in-u-s

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