Is the guide really free?

Yes. Sign in with Google or LinkedIn and the PDF opens right away. Signing in doesn’t set up an organization, start a trial, or charge anything.

Do child care volunteers need background checks under federal law?

Under the federal child care agency’s interpretation of the CCDBG rules, volunteers who have unsupervised access to children must have compliant comprehensive checks. Supervised parent volunteers and supervised, occasional volunteers don’t meet the definition of a child care staff member — but volunteers without checks may not be left alone with children.

Can a VolunteerBadge check replace our state’s child care background check?

No. Where your state’s comprehensive check is required — for staff at licensed, regulated, registered or CCDF-eligible providers — it is the legal requirement. A VolunteerBadge check is a strong, affordable layer for the volunteers and programs the state check doesn’t reach, such as church nurseries during worship.

Is this legal advice?

No. It is general education. Child care background-check rules are set by your state under federal law and they change — confirm yours with your licensing agency, your CCDF lead agency and qualified counsel.

Free guide · 2026 edition · For child care directors, preschools & church nursery leaders

In Good Hands

A background check playbook for child care centers, preschools, Head Start and church nurseries

What federal child care law requires, how it treats volunteers, Head Start and church-run programs, and how to screen everyone who cares for the youngest children.

19 pages, written for child care directors and nursery leaders
12 chapters and a hiring and volunteer screening calendar
A policy checklist and a family letter you can copy
Every federal rule, state example and statistic cited

Who this guide is for

Directors and owners of child care centers and family child care homes, preschool and Head Start leaders, and the church staff and volunteers who run nurseries, preschools and Mother’s Day Out–style programs. If your program cares for infants, toddlers or preschoolers, this guide is written for you.

checks required for covered child care staff: FBI fingerprints, the national sex-offender registry, and state criminal, sex-offender and child-abuse registries.

45 CFR §98.43

45 days

is the most a state may take to complete a check — and checks repeat at least every five years.

45 CFR §98.43

for a national, identity-verified check on a church nursery or supervised volunteer — alongside, never instead of, any state-required check.

VolunteerBadge pricing

From the executive summary

Six things every child care leader should know

1
Federal law requires comprehensive checks for child care staff.
At licensed, regulated or registered providers — and any provider eligible for federal child care assistance (CCDF).
2
“Staff” includes anyone with unsupervised access to children.
The federal child care agency’s position is that volunteers with unsupervised access must have compliant checks.
3
Head Start never leaves children alone with volunteers.
That is its rule for volunteers — not a criminal background check.
4
Church-run programs may be license-exempt.
But federal child care funds often end the exemption, and state law may still reach volunteers.
5
A private check is a complement, not a substitute.
Where the state-run check is required, it is the requirement. VolunteerBadge helps everywhere the state check doesn’t reach.
6
Screening is one layer.
Supervision, secure pick-up, diapering and toileting procedures, and a clear reporting path do the rest.

What's inside

01
The short version
The whole case on one page — read it before your next staff or board meeting.
02
Why the youngest children need the strongest safeguard
Children who can’t tell, intimate care all day, and what the data can and can’t show.
03
The federal rule: comprehensive background checks
Who the CCDBG rules cover, the five components, timing and provisional starts.
04
Volunteers, parents and “unsupervised access”
The staff definition, and how the federal agency reads it for volunteers.
05
Head Start
Staff check timelines — and the never-alone rule for volunteers.
06
Church nurseries, preschools and license-exempt programs
Three questions that decide where you stand, with Missouri and Texas examples.
07
Where a VolunteerBadge check fits — and where it doesn’t
An honest answer, situation by situation, and the FCRA steps for private checks.
08
Who should be screened
Teachers, substitutes, cooks, drivers, household members, nursery volunteers and teen helpers.
09
Screening is the foundation, not the house
Never alone unless cleared, two adults, secure pick-up and intimate-care procedures.
10
When a check isn’t clean
State eligibility determinations, and a fair process for the checks you run.
11
A hiring and volunteer screening calendar
From the offer to the five-year re-check.
12
Paying for it, and telling families
What each check costs, and how to answer the question every parent asks.
A
Appendix A: Child care screening policy checklist
Draft or audit your written policy.
B
Appendix B: Letter to families
How we screen our staff and volunteers — ready for your enrollment packet.
C
Appendix C: Free tools, further reading and sources
Rota checker, free nursery training and every citation.

Get the free guide

Questions

Is the guide really free?: Yes. Sign in with Google or LinkedIn and the PDF opens right away. Signing in doesn’t set up an organization, start a trial, or charge anything.
Do child care volunteers need background checks under federal law?: Under the federal child care agency’s interpretation of the CCDBG rules, volunteers who have unsupervised access to children must have compliant comprehensive checks. Supervised parent volunteers and supervised, occasional volunteers don’t meet the definition of a child care staff member — but volunteers without checks may not be left alone with children.
Can a VolunteerBadge check replace our state’s child care background check?: No. Where your state’s comprehensive check is required — for staff at licensed, regulated, registered or CCDF-eligible providers — it is the legal requirement. A VolunteerBadge check is a strong, affordable layer for the volunteers and programs the state check doesn’t reach, such as church nurseries during worship.
Is this legal advice?: No. It is general education. Child care background-check rules are set by your state under federal law and they change — confirm yours with your licensing agency, your CCDF lead agency and qualified counsel.

Keep going

VolunteerBadge is owned and operated by ScreenForge Labs, LLC, an FCRA-regulated Consumer Reporting Agency that has obtained its FCRA Certificate from the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA). This guide is general educational information and is not legal advice.