A state audit released Tuesday shows Michigan put thousands of children at risk by authorizing sex offenders and other unsuitable day care providers between 2003 and 2006. Read more…

It isn’t realistic to expect that anyone who may come into contact with children could be - or should be - subjected to background checks. But those working in certain jobs should be checked to avoid placing youngsters in contact with those who have criminal records of offenses against children. Read more…

Today the FBI announced the results of an unprecedented five-day nationwide sweep targeting criminals involved in trafficking children for prostitution in the United States. The stings, dubbed “Operation Cross Country,” spanned 16 cities and resulted in the arrest of 389 people and the recovery of 21 children. Read more…

If you have children in day care then you should understand the importance of businesses running background checks on day care providers. If you choose a home day care provider then you might need to run your own background check. The safety of your child is not something that you should ever take a risk on. Read more…

It is always a great idea to conduct a background check on an employee, especially one who is going to work around children, as in the case of an Ice Cream Truck driver. This story indicates that the Bureau of Criminal Identification will conduct a check for $20-$30.00, however, be warned that their database is flawed. Not every county in Ohio reports to BCI. It is recommended that you conduct a residential history of the applicant and contact every county they have resided in to determine any crimes. In addition, you should conduct a nationwide sexual offender search through the Department of Justice.

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If you are thinking about hiring a nanny to take care of your children, it is absolutely essential for you to know in advance that he/she is trustworthy, responsible, reliable, and safe. It cannot be stressed too strongly that this requires doing a background check on your prospective candidate, and a personal interview as well. Only when all of the information you receive from both of these sources fully meets your satisfaction should you consider her to be a suitable candidate for the job. Read more…

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, schools and schoolyards are enticing places for sexual predators. The combination of a large, moving target population and unique security issues gives sexual offenders the feeling of easy pickings. Today, keeping children safe from sexual predators is one of the top concerns of school officials, students, and parents. Read more…

Are we doing enough to make sure that our children are safe when in our schools? Teachers have a huge responsibility and granted they do not get paid nearly enough for the jobs that they do. But, does that mean we should not scrutinize their backgrounds any less? Read more…