Disqualifying Background Information

(1) Applicants and Family Day Care. Any applicant, licensee, provider, family day care approved assistant, family day care household member, and any person regularly on the premises when family day care children are present shall have a background free of conduct which, in the judgment of the Office, bears adversely upon applicant's or licensee's ability to care for children. (a) Such conduct shall include, but not be limited to the following: 1. criminal charges or a criminal conviction included in a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) report as a result of behavior that, pursuant to written policy, OCCS has determined to impair the applicant's or licensee's ability to care for children; 2. engaging in, or having engaged in, any other conduct, criminal or otherwise, determined by the Office to impair the applicant's or licensee's ability to care for children; 3. engaging in, or having engaged in conduct which results in his/her child being adjudicated to be in need of care and protection; 4. allegations of abuse or neglect of a child, supported in a 51B report; 5. use of alcohol or drugs to an extent or in a manner that is determined by the Office to impair the applicant's or licensee's ability to care for children properly. (b) An applicant shall not qualify to receive, retain, or have renewed a license if the background of the applicant, household member, or person who is regularly on the premises is not free from conduct which adversely bears on the provider's ability to care for children. (c) Failure to disclose relevant criminal history may result in mandatory disqualification even if such crimes do not fall under the "Mandatory Disqualification" section of the OCCS CORI Policy. (d) A family day care home shall not have any household member or persons who are regularly on the premises whose presence would, in the judgment of the Office, be detrimental to the health and welfare of day care children, or would impede or prevent the provision of adequate day care in the home. (2) Employees of Group Day Care, SchoolAge, ResidentialPrograms and Agencies Offering Child Placement and Adoption Services. (a) Each person employed by the licensee, who has the potential for unsupervised contact with children, shall have a background free ofconduct which bears adversely upon his or her ability to provide for the safety and well-being ofa child. The licensee shall determine, in accordance with OCCS policy, whether an employee's or potential employee's conduct, criminal or otherwise, shall disqualify that person from employment in the program. Inmakingthis determination the licensee shall consider the following: 1. Engaging in, or having engaged in conduct whichresults in his/her child being adjudicated to be in need of care and protection. 2. Use of alcohol or drugs to an extent or in a manner that is determined by the licensee to impair his/her ability to care for children properly. 3. Having engaged in conduct which results in criminal charges or a criminal conviction included in a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) report. 4. Engaging in, or having engaged in, any other conduct, criminal or otherwise, determined by the licensee, to impair the employee's ability to care for children. (b) Each licensee shall ensure that employees shall not have the potential for unsupervised contact with children until the licensee determines that the requirements of 102 CMR 1.05(2)(a) are met.