| Stricter Background Checks for Care Providers in Alaska |
Alaska's kids and elderly could be safer with their care providers, thanks to new fingerprinting and criminal background checks for those who work with them. The new background check regulations are set to go into effect next month. But already, increased scrutiny for daycare workers and elderly health care providers has revealed over a third of those who want to work with kids and the disabled have been involved in some sort of criminal activity.
The increased scrutiny has revealed: one murderer, 13 with felonies, five with crimes against children and eight with sexually-based offenses. Those are the people who wanted to care for our kids and elderly, but were weeded out, thanks to the new background checks.
The new regulations would bar anyone with a serious crime on their record in any state from working with vulnerable children and adults in Alaska. "It is expected that these regulations will allow us to consistently review the background and the barrier crimes for all individuals that are providing the services or have access to these individuals," said Karen Darby of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
Officials with Alaska Children Services say they already exceed most of the requirements DHSS has set for background checks, but they don't like the part that mandates the checks have to be repeated every six years. They say it is going to cost them more than 25,000 dollars to do.
"If we felt like we were getting a benefit out of that 25,000, then I would not complain at all. But I don't think it is going to provide the benefit that the state really hopes for," said Jim Maley of Alaska Children's Services.
The state says the checks, and the cost that goes along with them, are essential to keep Alaska's vulnerable population as safe as possible.
"There is no requirement that the entity themselves pay for the background check. They can require perspective employees to pay for their check," said Darby.
Others say the two-year process has given them plenty of time to budget for the extensive background checks and fingerprinting the new regulations will require.
"We have looked at our budgets and weighed that. The safety of our members comes first. And we worked into our budgets to ensure that we can cover the costs," said Kim Kovol of the Boys and Girls Clubs.
"I think all of us feel concerned about ensuring our children that we are providing services for, are in as safe an environment as they possibly can be. But we want the money that is being spent for their safety to be effective," said Maley.
The new background check regulations are set to go into effect on February 9th. The Department of Health and Social Services says they will loosely monitor the feedback on the regulations and their effects on providers and those in care. If changes are needed, DHSS says they will happily make them.
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