Attachment A - EDU Background Screening Policy

Human Services Department 
Education Division 
Head Start Birth to Five Program Policy 
Policy Number 
XX-XXXX
Subject 
Documentation of Background Screening 
Effective Date 
XX-XX-2022
Purpose 
The City of Phoenix Birth to Five Program (Birth to Five) will ensure all individuals 
(including full-time, part-time, and temporary staff paid with Head Start grant funding, 
volunteers, and paid and unpaid interns) complete a criminal and sex offender 
background screening before being hired. This policy describes the Head Start Birth to 
Five Program’s procedure of documenting background screenings for candidates and 
current employees in alignment with the Head Start Act, 648A(g)(3) and Head Start 
Program Performance Standard 1302.90(b). 
Process 
Unless noted otherwise, the following steps apply to all candidates considered for hire 
and paid and unpaid interns.   
•
Following the City of Phoenix Human Resources hiring process, the hiring
manager (supervisor conducting the hiring process) will upload all interview
documents for selected candidates into the City’s eCHRIS portal for approval from
the Human Resources Analyst. Included in the submission will be the information
and documents obtained through the interview process from the interview panel
and the candidate’s references.
•
The City of Phoenix uses the following entities for comprehensive background
screenings; a third-party vendor for criminal history, the Arizona Department of
Public Safety for fingerprint checks to obtain a fingerprint clearance card, and the
Arizona Central Registry for child abuse and neglect history.
Attachment A

• When the criminal background, fingerprint clearance card, and child abuse and 
neglect screenings are returned, the City’s Human Resources Aide will send an 
email to the hiring manager, Quality Assurance Manager, and Deputy Director 
indicating whether the candidate has passed all background screenings and 
include the date the screenings were completed.   
• If the candidate has passed all background screenings, the hiring manager will 
present the candidate with an official offer for hire within two business days. 
• When a candidate accepts a position, they are considered a new hire. The hiring 
manager will forward all background screening information to the new hire’s direct 
supervisor within two business days.  
• The direct supervisor will follow the Birth to Five’s onboarding process by 
forwarding the email from the Human Resources Aide containing background 
screening dates and the proposed hire date to the Quality Assurance Manager or 
designee on or before the new hire’s start date.  
• The Quality Assurance Manager or designee will enter all passed background 
screening dates within two business days into the new hire’s personnel file in the 
electronic system, ChildPlus, including the front and back of the fingerprint 
clearance card. 
• Once the initial background screening dates are entered, the date box will be 
locked, ensuring the initial dates are not overwritten. The email from the Human 
Resources Aide containing the background screening dates will be uploaded into 
the new hire’s personnel file under the “Attachment” tab. 
 
Quinquennial Checks (every five years) 
All staff will undergo a background screening every five years, including criminal history, 
fingerprint checks for fingerprint clearance ecard renewal, and child abuse and neglect 
history, through the following process. 
• The Quality Assurance Manager will review background screening dates monthly 
to identify employees’ upcoming expiration dates.  
• The Quality Assurance Manager will email the Human Resources Clerk a list of 
staff who require a quinquennial renewal of background screening within six 
months of the expiration date. 
• The Human Resources Clerk will contact the staff requiring the quinquennial 
background screenings via email.

• Staff will complete all necessary documents and obtain fingerprints within three 
business days of receiving the email notification. 
• When staff has completed the necessary documents and obtained fingerprints, the 
documents will be returned in person to the Human Resources Clerk for 
processing within three business days. 
• The Human Resources Clerk will follow the City’s process using the contracted 
third-party vendor to screen the employee’s criminal history, the Arizona 
Department of Public Safety for fingerprint checks, and the Arizona Central 
Registry for child abuse and neglect history. 
• When staff receives the results of the screenings, staff will scan the Arizona 
Department of Public Safety letter and fingerprint clearance card (front and back) 
and submit it via email to the Human Resources Clerk and the Quality Assurance 
Manager within two business days of receiving the information. 
• The Quality Assurance Manager or their designee will receive an email from the 
Human Resources Clerk containing all passed background screening dates. The 
Quality Assurance Manager or their designee will enter the dates into the 
employee’s personnel file in ChildPlus,including the front and back of the new 
fingerprint clearance card, within two business days and upload the email from the 
Human Resources Clerk under the “Attachment” tab. 
• The Quality Assurance Manager or their designee will notify employees within two 
business days via email that all updates have been added to their personnel file.