The PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning has released the Announcement C-18-01 which clarifies the requirements in 55 Pa. Code Chapters 3270.32, 3280.32 and 3290.32 to meet the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) requirements for current staff and new hires in child care facilities.

This announcement was originally issued on January 23, 2017 and is being reissued for three primary purposes.

First, the Department of Human Services (Department) wishes to clarify the
frequency with which all criminal clearances must be updated to ensure that providers conform to CPSL and the Department's regulatory requirements.

The second purpose is to provide notice that the provider of fingerprinting services has changed from Cogent to IDEMIA/ldentoGO.

The third purpose is to clarify that the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBl) clearance can never be used as a substitute for the DHS FBI clearance, which is discussed more fully herein. As well, the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) FBI check can never be used as a substitute for the DHS FBI clearance. As such, the only acceptable FBI clearance is the Department of Human Services {DHS) FBI clearance complete with the rap sheet, when applicable.

1. Make sure staff understand the steps they must take to obtain the required clearances.
2. Establish a tracking system for staff clearance expiration dates and determine which, if any, staff persons will be-required to obtain additional or updated clearances.
3. Review the staff files to ensure compliance with CPSL and the Department's own regulatory requirements.