USING THE FAMILY CARE SAFETY REGISTRY FOR REGISTERED FAMILY HOME CHILD CARE PROVIDERS (FOL, OPU AND OPL PROVIDERS)

FAMILY SUPPORT DIVISION, CHILDREN'S DIVISION AND OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

SECTION 1215.25.20; BACKGROUND SCREENING FOR REGISTERED FAMILY HOME CHILD CARE PROVIDERS

FCSR/DSS CHILD CARE PROVIDER REGISTRATION BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUEST;
FA-159, FCSR/DSS PROVIDER REGISTRATION RENEWAL BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUEST

In addition, the age requirement for household members to be screened is changed from age eighteen and older to over the age of seventeen (including age seventeen) . Beginning with initial applications for registration and registration renewals for August 2004, household members over the age of seventeen must comply with the requirements outlined in this memorandum.

BACKGROUND:

The Family Care Safety Registry was established on January 01, 2001. The registry contains names of caregivers or potential caregivers who have submitted their registration information and have had the appropriate background screenings completed.

Missouri law, RSMO 210.906, requires child care providers to register with the Family Care Safety Registry. Providers who do not register are considered guilty of a Class B misdemeanor offense. All DSS subsidized providers are required, by statute, to register with the Family Care Safety Registry. However, because the FCSR did not meet the statutory background screening requirements for DSS registered family home providers, as defined in RSMO 210.025 and in state regulation CSR 40-32.020, providers were also required to submit SHP-159's for a separate background screening with the Family Support Division. The FCSR now meets the requirements RSMO 210.025 and 13 CSR 40-32.020; thereby eliminating the need for a duplicative screening process.

FCSR INITIAL REGISTRATION:

Who Must Register:

Individuals who are not currently registered with the FCSR are now required to do so in order to receive state or federal funds. This includes any providers who are currently registered for child care subsidy and any of their household members over the age of seventeen who have not previously registered with the Family Care Safety Registry.

How To Register with FCSR:

The registration application used by FCSR has been modified to meet the needs of DSS registered family home providers. The form, entitled “Department of Social Services, Child Care Provider Background Screening Request” (FCSR/DSS form), will be used to not only register the applicant and/or household member in the Family Care Safety Registry, but will serve as the initial background screening for these individuals. Because the form is a Department of Health and Senior Services form, it does not have a DSS form number, but may be downloaded from the FSD intranet site.

• Go to https://webapp03.dhss.state.mo.us/fcsrnet/SearchForm.aspx ;
• Enter the individual's social security number;
• The resulting message will say either “SSN xxx-xx-xxxx was found on the DHSS database” or “SSN xxx-xx-xxxx was not found on DHSS database”

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
ATTN-Fees Receipts Unit
P.O. Box 570
Jefferson City, MO 65102

Note: If a provider inadvertently submits form and payment to the local office, forward the form and payment to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) at the address above. The information must be logged indicating the date the information is received, the name of the county office staff who receives the information, the date the information is forwarded to DHSS and the name of the county office staff forwarding the information to DHSS.

Initial registration with FCSR may take 2 to 4 weeks. Once registered, future background screening requests will have a much shorter turn around time. The typical turn around time is reported to be no longer than one week.

USING FCSR FOR REGISTRATION RENEWALS:

When a registered family home child care provider is renewing their registration, they will no longer receive the version of the form SHP-159 generated by FAMIS and included in their registration renewals packets. Renewal packets generated and mailed July 1, 2004 included a modified background screening form entitled “Provider Registration Renewal Background Screening Request “(FA-159).

Providers must complete this form, listing the name, date of birth and SSN for themselves and all household members over age seventeen, and return the form to their local FSD office. Prior to submitting the completed FA-159 to the FCSR, FSD staff must determine if the individuals listed on the form are registered with the FCSR by checking the FCSR web site as outlined previously in this memorandum.

If all individuals listed on the form are registered with the FCSR, submit the completed form to the FCSR by fax to 573-522-6981, or mail the form to:

Department of Health and Senior Services
Family Care Safety Registry
P.O. Box 570
Jefferson City, MO 65102

Maintain a copy of the submitted forms in the provider's file until the screening results are received. All forms that have been held in the county office, pending distribution of this policy must now be submitted to the FCSR as defined above.

RESULTS OF BACKGROUND SCREENINGS COMPLETED BY THE FCSR:

The FCSR will send all background screening results to the Office of Early Childhood. From that point, the process by which a provider is screened is unchanged. OEC will evaluate the screening results and send eligibility decisions to the local county office.

When a request for information is made to the FCSR, a copy of the results is also sent to the individual being screened. The individual's copy of the results identifies the local FSD office as the inquiring party and gives the particular results of the screening. The letter will not give the individual any details of the particular result. Example: Jane Doe is found to have a criminal history with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, but the exact conviction is not listed. A sample of the letter is attached to this memorandum (Attachment C).

• Review this memorandum with all appropriate staff;

• Discontinue use of the SHP-159;

• Remove SHP-159's from all provider packets that are distributed from the local office and replace packets with the appropriate FCSR form;

• Check individuals for previous registration with the FCSR by using the FCSR web site as outlined in this memorandum;

• Submit new FA-159 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES PROVIDER REGISTRATION BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUEST on renewals.

• Instruct anyone who is not registered with the FCSR on the process for registration as outlined in this memorandum.