New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 8 - SOCIAL SERVICES
Chapter 9 - EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
Part 6 - GOVERNING BACKGROUND CHECKS AND EMPLOYMENT HISTORY VERIFICATION
Section 8.9.6.10 - COMPLIANCE

(1) submit an electronic fingerprint submission receipt and the required forms for all direct providers of care, household members in licensed and registered child care homes, or any staff member, employee, or volunteer present while care recipients are present, or other adult as required by the applicable regulations prior to the commencement of service, whether employment or, contractual, or volunteer. In the case of a licensed child care home and a registered home, the licensee must submit an electronic fingerprint submission receipt and the required forms for new household members or for any adult who is required to obtain a background check pursuant to 8.9.4 NMAC or 8.9.5 NMAC as applicable. However, in the case of a registered family child care food-only home, all household members are only required to undergo a criminal history and child abuse and neglect screening.

(2) Applicants required to obtain background checks pursuant to 8.9.4 NMAC and 8.9.5 NMAC must indicate states where they resided during the preceding five years and obtain the following:

(3) Verify the employment history of any prospective direct provider of care by contacting references and prior employers/agencies to elicit information regarding the reason for leaving prior employment or service; the verification shall be documented and available for review by the licensing authority; EXCEPTION: verification of employment history is not required for registered home providers or child care homes licensed for six or fewer children.

(4) submit an adult household member written statement form for each adult household member in a registered family child care food-only home setting in order to conduct criminal history and child abuse and neglect screens on such household members; an adult household member is an adult living in the household or an adult that spends a significant amount of time in the home; the licensee must submit the required forms for new adult household members pursuant to 8.9.5 NMAC.

(5) provide such other information BCU staff determines to be necessary; and

(6) maintain documentation of all applications, correspondence and eligibility relating to the background checks required; in the event that the licensee does not have a copy of an applicant's eligibility documentation and upon receipt of a written request for a copy, the BCU may issue duplicate eligibility documentation to the original licensee provided that the request for duplicate eligibility documentation is made within one year of the applicant's eligibility date.