Wisconsin Department of Children and Families - Division of Early Care and Education
Bureau of Early Care Regulation
Child Care Background Check Procedures
BECR CBU is responsible for conducting the background checks on all licensed and certified child care providers in Wisconsin, including applicants, licensees and certified operators, employees of a child care center, adult household members and minors aged 10-17 who reside in the center (if certain disclosures on the Background Check Request form require a background check) and all other individuals subject to the background check law.
BECR accesses numerous sources of information to determine whether an individual is barred or has committed an offense that is substantially related under the provisions of the background check law, including:
Collection and review of the information provided on the Background Check Request form;
An FBI fingerprint check at the time of the first initial background check and every five years thereafter, unless the individual resides out or state, in which case fingerprints are required every year;
Information maintained in the National Sex Offender Registry at the time of the first background check and every five years thereafter;
A fingerprint-based criminal history search from the records maintained by the Department of Justice (DOJ);
Information contained in the Nurses Aid Registry under Wis. Stat. § 146.40(4g) for findings related to the abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult or the misappropriation of a client’s property;
Information maintained by the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) regarding the status of the person’s credentials/professional licenses, if applicable;
Information maintained by Department of Children and Families regarding any final determination under Wis. Stat. § 48.981(3)(c)5m or, if a contested case hearing is held on such a determination, any final decision under Wis. Stat. § 48.981(3)(c)5p that the person has abused or neglected a child;
Information maintained by the Department of Health Services (DHS) under Wis. Stat. § 48 regarding revocations or denials for a child or adult program of a license, continuation or renewal of a license, certification, a contract to operate licensed/certified child care center; or denial of employment or a contract or permission to reside at licensed/certified child care center because the person has committed an offense that creates a bar under the background check law;
Rehabilitation Review decisions;
Information maintained in the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registry;
Information included in the Wisconsin Consolidated Court Automation Project (CCAP);
A check of CPS, SOR and criminal records from another state(s), if the individual is living or has lived outside of Wisconsin in the past five years;
Check of regulatory history.
This page last updated 04/2021.