A true, accurate nationwide nanny criminal background check cannot be done, as there is no publicly-accessible central repository for all federal, state and county level felony and misdemeanor convictions. There is one national criminal database created by the FBI, known as the NCIC (National Crime Information Center), but it is not a public record that can be used for things like nationwide nanny criminal background checks, and it is illegal for anyone to access it other than criminal justice agencies.
So what is the best solution for nationwide caregiver background checks and screening? The most efficient and economical alternative is the Multi-State Database [MSD], a search of a proprietary criminal records database containing over 500 million records (but not all). The Multi-State Database search is a “locator” device designed to perform a broad search to identify jurisdictions in which an applicant potentially has a criminal record. Potential ‘hits’ require matches on two or more identifiers – most commonly name and date of birth. If a MSDL record match is found, we recommend a follow-up county criminal search to verify the records. Our system is easy to use and will walk you through this step by step if the need arises. Bear in mind that this will, when needed, add at least 2 – 3 days to the final order completion.
