State law says that DCYF must complete background checks on anyone who is allowed to care for or have access to children in early learning programs.
If you currently live and work outside Washington State and need a criminal history background check for the state you live in, visit Washington State Patrol website to complete your background check. The following information is for people who live and work in Washington State.
Requirements
DCYF provides portable background checks that are valid for five years. These are submitted through the Managed Education and Registry Information Tool (MERIT).
Anyone connected with a licensed child care facility or an ECEAP site must register in MERIT and have a STARS ID. This includes:
- The licensed provider
- Anyone who cares for or has access to children in a licensed child care facility or ECEAP site
- Anyone age 13 or older who lives in a licensed family child care home
To Use MERIT
- Visit MERIT
- Sign in if you already have a STARS ID
- Apply for a STARS ID if you do not have one
- Click on the "application" tab
- Select "Portable Background Check Application" and follow all the steps
You Will Need
- The name of the licensed child care provider or ECEAP site
- The addresses where you have lived for the past five consecutive years
Fingerprinting
All applicants age 16 and older must complete the fingerprint process. You must submit a new application before your current background check expires. Licensed providers can track background check clearances for employees and household members through their MERIT facility registration.
Requesting Results:
- You may request a copy of your background check results and any supporting documents. To do this, submit the Request for Background Check Results.
- If you want to share your background check results with OSPI, visit the OSPI website.
Federal Requirements
Starting October 1, 2021, DCYF must follow all parts of the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act. If you have lived outside of Washington state in the past five years, this requires additional interstate background checks and out-of-state Child Abuse and Neglect checks. Some states require your permission to complete these checks.
The CCDBG Act also requires all applicants to complete a fingerprint-based background check before they can begin working in an early learning program, even if they did not need fingerprints in the past.
