West Virginia Childcare Background Check Requirements (2026)

West Virginia childcare licensing requires the following pre-employment screening for staff: WV CARES (West Virginia Clearance for Access: Registry and Employment Screening) state-and-federal fingerprint-based criminal background investigation and fitness determination of eligibility — required before any contact/work with children; authority W. Va. Code §16-49-1 et seq. and 69 CSR 10 (§78-1-8.4.c).

West Virginia childcare licensing requires the following pre-employment screening for staff: WV CARES self-disclosure application and consent form on file and uploaded to WV CARES no later than the date of hire (§78-1-8.4.c.1).

West Virginia childcare licensing requires the following pre-employment screening for staff: Fitness determination of eligibility from the WV CARES unit (§78-1-8.4.c.3); no person may work with children prior to the center receiving the fitness determination (§78-1-8.4.f).

West Virginia childcare licensing requires the following pre-employment screening for staff: Background check updated/maintained at expiration of rap back enrollment (§78-1-8.4.c.4).

West Virginia childcare licensing requires the following pre-employment screening for staff: State background check completed in any other state where the staff member or volunteer resided in the past five years (§78-1-8.4.c.5).

West Virginia childcare licensing requires the following pre-employment screening for staff: Sex offender registry/repository check on each staff member and volunteer, including any other state of residence in the past five years (§78-1-8.4.c.6, §78-1-8.4.c.7).

West Virginia childcare licensing requires the following pre-employment screening for staff: Search of state-based child and adult abuse and neglect registries and protective services databases in each state of residence during the preceding five years, repeated every five years (§78-1-8.4.d).

West Virginia childcare licensing requires the following pre-employment screening for staff: Hiring prohibitions for disqualifying offenses as defined in W. Va. Code §16-49-1(8) / 69 CSR 10-2.10, absent a Secretary-granted waiver or variance (§78-1-8.5).

West Virginia childcare licensing requires the following pre-employment screening for staff: For individuals over 13 and under 18 with regular direct contact with children, a signed parental affidavit that the individual has never been arrested or convicted of an offense against a person (§78-1-8.4.h).

What background checks does West Virginia require for childcare staff?

West Virginia requires the following screenings: WV CARES (West Virginia Clearance for Access: Registry and Employment Screening) state-and-federal fingerprint-based criminal background investigation and fitness determination of eligibility — required before any contact/work with children; authority W. Va. Code §16-49-1 et seq. and 69 CSR 10 (§78-1-8.4.c); WV CARES self-disclosure application and consent form on file and uploaded to WV CARES no later than the date of hire (§78-1-8.4.c.1); Fitness determination of eligibility from the WV CARES unit (§78-1-8.4.c.3); no person may work with children prior to the center receiving the fitness determination (§78-1-8.4.f); Background check updated/maintained at expiration of rap back enrollment (§78-1-8.4.c.4); State background check completed in any other state where the staff member or volunteer resided in the past five years (§78-1-8.4.c.5); Sex offender registry/repository check on each staff member and volunteer, including any other state of residence in the past five years (§78-1-8.4.c.6, §78-1-8.4.c.7); Search of state-based child and adult abuse and neglect registries and protective services databases in each state of residence during the preceding five years, repeated every five years (§78-1-8.4.d); Hiring prohibitions for disqualifying offenses as defined in W. Va. Code §16-49-1(8) / 69 CSR 10-2.10, absent a Secretary-granted waiver or variance (§78-1-8.5); For individuals over 13 and under 18 with regular direct contact with children, a signed parental affidavit that the individual has never been arrested or convicted of an offense against a person (§78-1-8.4.h).

Do background checks need to be repeated in West Virginia?

Many states require periodic re-screening (often every 5 years) in addition to the initial check. Confirm the current West Virginia re-screening interval with the West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), Bureau for Family Assistance, Division of Early Care and Education (Child Care Licensing). Effective Jan 1, 2024, the former Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) was split into three departments; child care licensing now sits under DoHS. The current child care center rule (78 CSR 1, filed Mar 30, 2023, effective Apr 1, 2023) is captioned 'Department of Human Services,' but its internal definitions (e.g., §78-1-3.52 'Secretary') still reference the 'Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources.'.

Who must be screened at a West Virginia center?

Any staff member, substitute, or volunteer with unsupervised access to children must clear the required West Virginia screenings before working with children.