New law: DEL background checks may now be used for early learning employees in school settings

Starting on June 12, individuals working in certain early learning settings will no longer have to undergo both the Department of Early Learning (DEL) and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) background check.

Senate Bill 6093, sponsored by Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, allows these individuals to meet their background check requirements by providing a copy of their DEL background check results to OSPI. This applies to early learning professionals requiring background checks who work in:

• School districts
• Educational service districts
• The State Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss
• The State School for the Blind
• Contractors of the above entities that hire employees

Legislators passed the bill during the 2014 legislative session after recognizing that requiring one individual to undergo two background checks was inefficient. The DEL background check is very comprehensive, and looks at an individual’s criminal history, sexual offender registry and professional licensing history.

Individuals wishing to use their DEL background check to suffice for their OSPI check must request copies of their background check results from DEL, and then send a copy of those results to OSPI. 

To request your background check results, complete a Request for Background Check Results Form and mail it, fax it, or attach a scanned version to an email and send it to the Department of Early Learning.  DEL will mail two copies of the background check results to you and you will need to mail the copy in the sealed envelope to the Fingerprint Records office at OSPI. 

Federal law does not allow our two agencies to share background results directly, but does allow individuals to share their own background results with other state agencies.