Missouri law requires all DFS subsidy providers to register with the Family Care Safety Registry.  Providers who do not register will be considered guilty of a misdemeanor offense.  Although all DFS subsidy providers are required to comply with the Family Care Safety Registry process, it does not meet the statutory requirements for background screening of DFS registered providers.

Until the Family Care Safety Registry is modified to include all DFS registered provider requirements; we will continue our current background screening process for certain registered providers and their adult household members in addition to the Family Care Safety Registry requirements.

WHAT IS THE FAMILY CARE SAFETY REGISTRY SCREENING PROCESS?

The Family Care Safety Registry contains names of caregivers or potential caregivers that submit their completed application form, copy of their Social Security card, and a five dollar ($5.00) processing fee to the Department of Health.  The caregiver applies for registration and pays the processing fee to the Family Care Safety Registry only one time.  Once the provider is registered with the Family Care Safety Registry, anyone calling for information on a provider receives current background status. 

Any prospective employer or DFS representative may call the toll-free Family Care Safety Registry number to request background information on a caregiver.  The caller is required to give specific identifying personal data about the provider to the Registry staff such as the provider's name, Social Security number, and date of birth. 

• Upon inquiry, the Family Care Safety Registry staff:

• Verify that the person in question is registered with the Family Care Safety Registry,
• Report if the person's name is listed in any of the background checks, and,
• Notifies the inquirer and the person screened, in writing, of the inquiry results and who requested the information.

• State criminal background records maintained by the Missouri State Highway Patrol,
• Child abuse and neglect records maintained by the Division of Family Services,
• Child-care facility licensing records maintained by the Department of Health,
• Foster parent, residential care facility and child placing agency records maintained by the Division of Family Services,
• The Employee Disqualification List maintained by the Division of Aging, and, 
• Residential living facility and nursing home licensing records maintained by the Division of Aging.

Employers and child care providers may call the registry directly, at 573-526-1974, with questions about the registration process.

WHO MUST COMPLY WITH THE FAMILY CARE SAFETY REGISTRY?

This legislation affects every individual caring for children or the elderly in a paid capacity.  This includes employees of any licensed or license-exempt child care setting, self-employed owners/operators, directors, administrative staff, support staff, secretarial, clerical, assistant and emergency assistant, head or lead teacher, teachers, teacher's aides, cook, housekeeping, maintenance, transportation, consultants, and private pay workers such as teachers, therapists, visiting nurses, and temporary employees.  Anyone caring for children failing to register with the Family Care Safety Registry is considered guilty of a misdemeanor.

• Persons, who begin employment as a caregiver on or after January 01, 2001, are required to register with the Family Care Safety Registry within fifteen days from the beginning of their employment.

• Child Care providers and employees working as caregivers before January 01, 2001, may voluntarily register.  In order to continue receiving state subsidy, they are required to initiate the application process with the Family Care Safety Registry for themselves and employees, no later than their next Provider Registration with Division of Family Services.

• Child care providers new to registration with Division of Family Services must also comply with the registration requirements of the Family Care Safety Registry upon their registration with DFS.  (Please refer to the section "PROVIDERS NEW TO REGISTRATION WITH DFS," for local availability of the Family Care Safety Registry documents.)

PROVIDERS NEW TO REGISTRATION WITH DFS

County staff must include hard copy documents for the Family Care Safety Registry with their local registration packets 
(IM-91, IM-92, IM-92A/B, IM-93, SHP-159's,) when registering new providers or supplying renewing providers with replacement registration packets. 

The DSS warehouse received a supply of Family Care Safety Registry application forms and brochures from the Department of Health.  Initial distributions of these documents have been ordered for each DFS office. 

Until your supply is available, you may download the attachments to this memorandum to make them available to new providers or renewing providers needing additional forms.

HOW DOES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FAMILY CARE SAFETY REGISTRY AFFECT THE CURRENT BACKGROUND SCREENING PROCESS FOR CERTAIN PROVIDERS?

Until the Family Care Safety Registry screening process is modified to meet all the DFS registered provider requirements, the Division of Family Services will continue to require background screenings on certain providers as outlined in Memorandum IM 117, dated August 27, 1999.

This process includes a screening of:

• Child Abuse and Neglect Registry,
• Criminal records held by Missouri Highway Patrol,
• Foster Care License revocation, and, 
• Child Care License revocation.

• Care for four or less unrelated children,
• Care for related children,
• Operate as a licensed provider outside of Missouri, or,
• Operate as an unlicensed provider outside of Missouri; and,
• Household members age eighteen (18) and older of these providers.

HOW ARE PROVIDERS NOTIFIED OF THEIR REQUIREMENT TO COMPLY?

The Department of Health has notified all licensed providers and religious affiliated providers of their requirement to comply with the Family Care Safety Registry.

The Division of Family Services is responsible for notifying the following types of child care providers of their requirement to register with the Family Care Safety Registry.  All of these are license-exempt providers who must be registered in DFS Provider Maintenance:

• Providers caring for four or less children who are not related to the provider,
• Providers caring for children related to the provider,
• Out of state licensed providers who are in compliance with their home state's child care licensing requirements,
• Out of state unlicensed/registered providers who are in compliance with their home state's child care license-exempt requirements,
• School based child care facilities,
• Summer Camps,
• Businesses operating a child care facility for their consumers, and,
• State, County or City government operated child care sites.

• An explanation section on the Provider Notice, FA-587,
• Two registration forms to Family Care Safety Registry, and,
• An informational brochure about the Family Care Safety Registry.

Following implementation of this memorandum, these documents will be mailed to providers once per month through December 31, 2001; sixty days in advance of their registration end date.

HOW DOES THE FAMILY CARE SAFETY REGISTRY AFFECT THE CURRENT REGISTRATION PROCESS AT LOCAL DFS OFFICES?

The Division of Family Services offices will continue to register providers who submit completed:

• Provider Registration form (IM-91 or FA 350,) 
• Health and Safety Certification form (IM-92 or FA 351,) 
• Direct Payment Agreement form (IM-93,) and,
• Background Screening Form (SHP-159,) for themselves and each household member age eighteen (18) and older, for certain providers.

PROVIDERS NEW TO REGISTRATION WITH DFS

Local staff must notify certain providers of their requirement to register with the Family Care Safety Registry.   Providers:

• Who are new to DFS registration, or,
• Whose registration has lapsed and not been renewed prior to February 28, 2001;

Examples of the Family Care Safety Registry documents are attached to this memorandum. These documents include:

• A cover letter which explains their requirement to comply,
• A Family Care Safety Registry application form, and,
• An informational sheet about the Family Care Safety Registry process.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is the program that opens the memorandum attachments.  Adobe Acrobat Reader is installed on every FAMIS computer.  When you select these attachments, Adobe Acrobat opens them in a new window.  They will display, completely covering text on your previous screen.  You must close this window by clicking the large "X" in the upper right hand corner to return to the memorandum (previous screen).  If you are unable to access the documents, contact your remote site coordinator or the Data Processing Help Desk at 1-800-663-2647.

PROVIDER REGISTRATION RENEWAL NOTICES ISSUED FEBRUARY 28, 2001 AND LATER

FAMIS renewal notices currently mailed thirty days before the registration expiration date will be mailed sixty days before the registration end date, displayed in FAMIS Provider Maintenance, effective with the February 28, 2001 mailings.

On February 28, 2001, renewal notices will be generated to providers whose registration and/or health and safety certifications expire within the next two months.  These are providers with registration and/or health and safety certification end dates of March 31, 2001, and April 30, 2001.

Providers whose registration ends March 31, 2001 and April 30, 2001 will be the first to receive the system generated notification to comply with the Family Care Safety Registry.

On March 31, 2001, renewal notices will be generated to providers whose registration and/or Health and Safety certifications expire on May 31, 2001.

Registration and Health/Safety Certification renewal notices will continue to be generated sixty days prior to their end date displayed in FAMIS Provider Maintenance.

HOW DOES DFS PROCESS THE FAMILY CARE SAFETY REGISTRY FORMS AND PROCESSING FEE?

The cover letter and Family Care Safety Registry form instructs applicants of the registry to:

• Send the complete application form, 
• Copy of their Social Security card, and,
• A five dollar ($5.00) processing fee,

• If a provider presents this documentation and fee to DFS, immediately instruct the provider to send this information to the Department of Health address, as above.  The address is printed on the Family Care Safety Registry application form.

• If DFS receives these forms in the mail alone or with their registration documents, immediately forward the Family Care Safety Registry application forms, copy of the Social Security card and processing fee to the Department of Health address, as above.  If the provider is also registering with DFS, it is acceptable to make a copy of the attached provider's social security card for the DFS registration process.

PROVIDER REQUIREMENTS CHART

A chart has been created to help guide staff through Provider Compliance.  The attached chart explains which types of providers must:

• Register with DFS, 
• Meet DFS Health and Safety Certification, 
• Complete Background Screening forms, SHP-159,
• Complete Family Care Safety Registry forms,
• Have their exempt status granted by the Department of Health.

•  Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

• Continue the background screening process (SHP-159) for certain providers as outlined in Memorandum IM-117, dated August 27, 1999.

• Make Family Care Safety Registry application forms, brochures and cover letter available to new providers registering with DFS and renewing providers needing replacement forms.

• Refer providers to remit their completed Family Care Safety Registry application and processing fee to the Department of Health.

• Forward every completed Family Care Safety Registry application and processing fee received at DFS to the Department of Health.

Family Care Safety Registry Application

Brochure from Department of Health

Cover Letter which explains requirement to comply

Chart of Provider Requirements