Fw: Gov. Crist orders statewide review of system that allows felons to work in child and elder care

[Guest guest]

My son was restrained by a BCBA in public school that had a criminal background. Hope this gets done.

M.

sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-felons-governor-review-b102009,0,2648051.story

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Gov. Crist orders statewide review of system that allows felons to work in child and elder care

Action follows Sun Sentinel finding that thousands of people with criminal records are allowed to work with Florida's most vulnerable

By Sally Kestin, Franceschina and Maines South Florida Sun-Sentinel 8:06 PM EDT, October 20, 2009 Gov. Charlie Crist ordered a statewide review Tuesday of screening loopholes that allow felons to work as caregivers of Florida's children, elderly and disabled, and said changes could come as early as December.The review follows a Sun Sentinel investigative series that found current laws and practices have let thousands of people with criminal records into jobs in day care centers and nursing homes."When it comes to the safety and security of Florida's vulnerable populations, we must make every effort to ensure that their professional caregivers do not have criminal histories," Crist said in a statement.The governor's call for reform involves eight state agencies charged with screening and licensing caregivers. Agency representatives will begin meeting Thursday and present their findings to Crist by Nov. 2."They will be able to come up with some effective recommendations to make sure that appropriate background checks are not only done, but done with the frequency that will be necessary to protect the people,'' the governor told the Sun Sentinel in an interview.Crist is calling for action as early as December at a proposed special session of Florida's Legislature. Independently of the governor, some lawmakers have drawn up legislative proposals to tighten current practices."We may not have to wait until the regular session [in March] to put some of these most important changes in place," Crist said. "What's more important than protecting the people? Nothing, in my view."The Sun Sentinel series, "Trust Betrayed,'' published last month, found most caregivers can begin work even before a background check on them has started.The state also routinely permits people with criminal records to continue working through an exemption system created by lawmakers two decades ago.More than 8,700 people including career criminals and felons with records for murder, rape and child abuse have won permission to care for vulnerable Floridians with little more than a promise not to break the law again. Twenty percent of them are re-arrested after the state's determination that they have been rehabilitated and are of "good moral character.''Two bills recently filed in the Legislature would severely restrict exemptions and require nationwide background checks before caregivers begin working. The reforms have the support of legislative leaders and the secretary of the Department of Children & Families.One focus of the governor's review will be on using electronic fingerprinting to speed up background checks, which can take six weeks when done with prints sent through the mail.Child and elder care providers say they need to fill vacancies quickly and have resisted past attempts to require pre-employment checks.Don Hering, chairman of Florida's Long-term Care Ombsudsman Council, has pushed for stricter screening requirements for years. On Tuesday, he applauded the commitment by the governor and legislators."It's big-time good news,'' Hering said.In his statement, Crist singled out the Sun Sentinel for its investigative efforts "to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable individuals."Staff writer Josh Hafenbrack contributed to this report.Sally Kestin can be reached at skestin@... or . Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel