{YEL!} Background Check Policy

Pre-Employment

• {YEL!} conducts background checks on all instructors before they arrive on any school campus as an agent of {YEL!}.
• {YEL!} conducts rechecks annually on all returning instructors.
• {YEL!} retains those background checks on file for each instructor.
• According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) {YEL!}, as the end user of the background check report, cannot share this document with any other party.  We can only assure that party that the check is clean (see Disqualifying Results below). 
     ° If a school or school district requires a copy of the background check, we will make instructors scheduled for that school or school district aware of the request.  Instructors are legally entitled to a copy of their background check for their own personal use.  They are, therefore, free to share that document with any school or school district, if they so choose.
     ° Background checks conducted by the school or school district must be done so at their own expense.
     ° We counsel schools or school districts to keep in mind that if redundant background checks (background checks other than what {YEL!} has already performed) are required by that school or school district for every {YEL!} instructor in that school or school district, it may precipitate the rescheduling of a class when a substitute teacher is necessary (due to illness, accident, etc.).
    ° NOTE: {YEL!} uses the McDowell Agency of St. Paul, Minnesota for all employment background checks.  The McDowell Agency has a stellar reputation for providing hundreds of schools background screening services and has been doing background screening since 1984.

Disqualifying Results

The following findings on any background check may contribute to disqualifying potential instructors from gaining employment with {YEL!}:

• Sex Offenses: All sex offenses, regardless of the amount of time since the offense.  Examples (but not limited to): child molestation, rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, prostitution, solicitation, indecent exposure.
• Violent Felonies: Regardless of the amount of time since the offense.  Examples (but not limited to): murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated burglary, etc.
• Non-violent Felonies within the past 10 years.  Examples (but not limited to): Drug offenses especially quantities with the intent to sell, embezzlement, child endangerment, any drug offense involving minors or children.

What is checked

• Social Security Validation/Address Trace – Verifies the candidate’s SSN.  In addition, this verification may identify home addresses that the candidate failed to disclose.
• USA Criminal Index – The USA Criminal Index contains information on convicted felons, individuals that are or have been under the supervision of the State Department of Corrections and some individuals convicted of misdemeanors.  The most comprehensive national criminal index available covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The index contains almost 600 million criminal records nationwide.  If a criminal record is found an additional county criminal record check is required by the FCRA before an adverse hiring decision can be made.
• County Criminal Records – Search for criminal history on {YEL!} instructors within the chosen county.
• National Sex Offender Registry Query – The most complete national Sex Offender Registry Query contains information on convicted sex offenders.  The most up to date Sex Offender Registry available includes data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The Registry contains over 525,000 records nationwide.
• US Federal Criminal Record Check (current District of residence) – Search the candidate’s background for evidence of civil, criminal or bankruptcy proceeding within the appropriate Federal District.

If you represent a school or school district {YEL!} works with and would like a signed copy verifying our background check policy, please email us at info@yelkids.com or call us at (800) 959-9261.