Child care providers; background checks, portability.

Child care providers; background checks; portability. Exempts prospective employees and volunteers of certain child welfare agencies from statutory background check requirements where the individual completed a background check within the previous five years, provided that (i) such background check was conducted after July 1, 2017; (ii) the results of such background check indicated that the individual had not been convicted of any barrier crime and was not the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse or neglect; and (iii) the individual is an employee or volunteer of any child welfare agency that is subject to background check requirements or has been separated from such employment or volunteer position for not more than 180 days. The bill requires such child welfare agencies, prior to hiring or allowing to volunteer any individual without the completion of a background check, to obtain written certification from the Department of Education that such individual satisfies all such requirements and is eligible to serve as an employee or volunteer at the child welfare agency. The bill also directs the Department of Education to establish a two-year pilot program for the purpose of stabilizing and improving the quality of child care services in the Commonwealth, which shall include payment of a fixed amount of funds to providers that have agreed to meet certain standards related to quality of care provided, to the extent allowed by federal law, and to report on the pilot program by December 1 of each year.