Question About Background Check in CA

[catubbs1]

My wife and i are trying to start a family home daycare in California and are filling out our background check paperwork. it says to list anything, even if a "long time ago". how many years back does the check go if there are no felonies? do i need to bring up a dui from 2002?

[Cat Herder]

Since age 18 or majority if your state has a different definition.

They are not just looking for felonies.

[catubbs1]

Thanks for the info! i guess that means ill have to get an exemption? how long is the process, what could some of the impacts be?

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by catubbs1

Thanks for the info! i guess that means ill have to get an exemption? how long is the process, what could some of the impacts be?

I doubt it will require an exemption. I know a local elementary teacher here with 3 in the last 10 years. She is still working and I am in a red state.

I think you will be fine. They might judge harsher if it shows up and you were not forthcoming or if there was a child in the vehicle with you at the time.

[hwichlaz]

YES a DUI will require an exemption in California. If it was that long ago it won't be too difficult to get, but you'll have to have character references and order your old court documents.

California is extremely strict. I had an 18-year-old excluded from my facility for a shoplifting conviction.

[hwichlaz]

Originally Posted by Cat Herder

I doubt it will require an exemption. I know a local elementary teacher here with 3 in the last 10 years. She is still working and I am in a red state.

I think you will be fine. They might judge harsher if it shows up and you were not forthcoming or if there was a child in the vehicle with you at the time.

Home daycare is much more strict than school teaching. Teachers aren't the only adults in the facility. I had a dad that is a highschool teacher get denied for his wife's daycare because he had a gang activity conviction from when he was 18.....this was 30 years prior and he'd went into the military, became an officer, got his record expunged....but it still showed up.

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by hwichlaz

Home daycare is much more strict than school teaching. Teachers aren't the only adults in the facility. I had a dad that is a highschool teacher get denied for his wife's daycare because he had a gang activity conviction from when he was 18.....this was 30 years prior and he'd went into the military, became an officer, got his record expunged....but it still showed up.

I think it depends on local politics. You'd be shocked at what gets passed, now, in certain areas.

[hwichlaz]

Originally Posted by Cat Herder

I think it depends on local politics. You'd be shocked at what gets passed, now, in certain areas.

For teachers I'll buy it. But daycare backgrounds all go through the same place. When it gets to your exemptions, then that's handled at your local office. I couldn't believe a college student shoplifting an item under $20 was excluded pending an exemption...and that was just to stay with me for the summer.

[Ms. Alison]

When writing your letter, make sure you emphasize your remorse. I had a young woman I was going to hire and she had a record for a fatal car accident. Letter came back denying her exemption because she did not appear remorseful in her written explanation.