A CBS Atlanta News investigation revealed that 24,000 daycare workers in Georgia are on the job without having undergone a federal background check. A local background check is currently all that is required by the state. Kellen Stennett, owner of The Goddard School in Buckhead, said that he believes the state should require more thorough background checks on daycare workers. In response, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is pushing new legislation to require a federal fingerprinting background check. They receive more than 100 complaints a month related to possible inappropriate activity at daycare centers. “The federal background checks are a little bit more complicated,” said Stennett. “They cost a lot more money, they take a lot longer to get the results back so particularly if you’re looking to make a quick hire or something like that it can be restricting.” Georgia is expecting lawmakers to pass legislation this session to strengthen background checks.
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