Child care provider background checks established

More Nebraska child care providers must undergo a federal background check under a bill passed Aug. 3.

LB1185, introduced by the Health and Human Services Committee, amends the Child Care Licensing Act to require that individuals who are not required to be licensed under the act but who seek to be a provider under the federal Child Care Subsidy program must submit a request for a national criminal history check for each child care staff member.

The bill includes provisions of La Vista Sen. John Arch’s LB837, which require the state Department of Health and Human Services to seek federal funding to implement a program to assist residential child care providers and their employees with the cost of fingerprinting and national criminal history record information checks.

LB1185 passed on a 48-0 vote.