NOTE ON BACKGROUND CHECK COMPLETION DATE
  • Background checks completed before June 28, 2021 were processed by Sterling Talent Solutions. Refer to this guide to learn more.
  • Background checks completed on or after June 28, 2021, were processed by Checkr. Continue using the guide below to learn more.
Background checks
Just like kids, not all background checks are the same. To build a trusted community, it's important for everyone to know what’s covered in the different background checks available. Use this guide, along with our other screening tools, to feel confident in the child care connections you make.
trust & safety icons
Sittercity’s background check process
It is important to know that background checks are not automatically run on caregivers or families of Sittercity.

Background checks are run in two ways:
1) caregivers can run background checks on themselves
2) families can request background checks be run on caregivers.

All background checks are performed by the third party consumer reporting agency Checkr. In order to maintain compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), when a caregiver’s background check results are returned, they will have 10 days to file a dispute prior to badge results displaying on a caregiver profile. Background checks badges expire on Sittercity after 90 days. To understand limitations of background checks see the Limitations section.
What each background check covers
The following are the background checks on Sittercity that are offered through Checkr
I. Basic Criminal
Basic Criminal background check includes:
Basic Background Check Badge Icon
  • A search, Using the name and social security number provided, a search is conducted utilizing credit bureau header and footer information, as well as public records databases. This search provides any associated (alias) names and address history as a pointer of jurisdictions and names to search based on the Address History Scope. This search does not match an individual with a number but will check whether a SSN is not valid because it is included in the Death Master File issued by the Social Security Administration ("SSA"). For example: if John Smith's social security number is discovered to be related to Sarah Smith, Sarah's name may be included in the report.

  • A multi-jurisdictional database search to locate potential records for the searched individual to be used as pointers for the purposes of conducting county or state level searches. This multi-jurisdictional database search (sometimes referred to as a "National Criminal Database search") is an automated search of commercial databases that consist of both publicly available and purchased criminal records compiled from a variety of state, county and other proprietary sources. The National Criminal Search includes retrieval of arrest and criminal data from various local, county and state agencies including: Administrative Office of Courts; Departments of Correction; Individual County Courts**; State Specific Criminal Records Repositories; and Criminal records from multiple states. This tool is used as a pointer and then all records are verified at the source but reported only if deemed reportable and within the Reporting Scope.

    In most instances, around seven years of records data is returned except where limited by the jurisdiction or law. The Basic Criminal background check does not include federal records or municipal court records. Download to see what is included.

    **The National Criminal Database search does not include all Individual County Courts, but only courts that contribute to a proprietary database

  • Search of all 50 states, including DC and US territories, sex offender lists. The results will show whether the caregiver searched is currently publicly registered on a sex offender registry. If a potential "hit" is uncovered, Checkr will confirm additional details by searching both the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (“NSOPW”), as well as the relevant state registry. Sex offender searches are subject to limitations and may not reflect an individual's entire sex offender history.

  • Search of various US and international government watch lists, which shall include, for example: FBI Most Wanted Lists, Interpol's Most Wanted Lists, Office of Foreign Asset Control Sanction Lists, Denied Persons Lists, Department of State Sanction Lists, Specially Designated Nationals Lists; as well as various US Drug Enforcement Administration Wanted Fugitive Lists.

  • Conducted by searching publicly available felony and misdemeanor convictions, including pending records, based on information revealed in a National Criminal Database search. This search uses a network of professional court and record researchers to perform county level searches for felony and misdemeanor level criminal records in the current county where the caregiver resides. This search will utilize primary source electronic databases maintained by governmental organizations or their agents in jurisdictions where available, and, where necessary, conduct physical court searches in jurisdictions where necessary to query electronic databases and/or request clerk assisted searches or other additional manual follow up. The search performed will review records based on the Reporting Scope.

    County included will be based on the most recent available address of the caregiver.

  • Content

  • Content

II. Enhanced Criminal
Enhanced Criminal background check includes:
Basic Background Check Badge Icon
  • A search, Using the name and social security number provided, a search is conducted utilizing credit bureau header and footer information, as well as public records databases. This search provides any associated (alias) names and address history as a pointer of jurisdictions and names to search based on the Address History Scope. This search does not match an individual with a number but will check whether a SSN is not valid because it is included in the Death Master File issued by the Social Security Administration ("SSA"). For example: if John Smith's social security number is discovered to be related to Sarah Smith, Sarah's name may be included in the report.

  • A multi-jurisdictional database search to locate potential records for the searched individual to be used as pointers for the purposes of conducting county or state level searches. This multi-jurisdictional database search (sometimes referred to as a "National Criminal Database search") is an automated search of commercial databases that consist of both publicly available and purchased criminal records compiled from a variety of state, county and other proprietary sources. The National Criminal Search includes retrieval of arrest and criminal data from various local, county and state agencies including: Administrative Office of Courts; Departments of Correction; Individual County Courts**; State Specific Criminal Records Repositories; and Criminal records from multiple states. This tool is used as a pointer and then all records are verified at the source but reported only if deemed reportable and within the Reporting Scope.

    In most instances, around seven years of records data is returned except where limited by the jurisdiction or law. The Basic Criminal background check does not include federal records or municipal court records. Download to see what is included.

    **The National Criminal Database search does not include all Individual County Courts, but only courts that contribute to a proprietary database

  • Search of all 50 states, including DC and US territories, sex offender lists. The results will show whether the caregiver searched is currently publicly registered on a sex offender registry. If a potential "hit" is uncovered, Checkr will confirm additional details by searching both the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (“NSOPW”), as well as the relevant state registry. Sex offender searches are subject to limitations and may not reflect an individual's entire sex offender history.

  • Search of various US and international government watch lists, which shall include, for example: FBI Most Wanted Lists, Interpol's Most Wanted Lists, Office of Foreign Asset Control Sanction Lists, Denied Persons Lists, Department of State Sanction Lists, Specially Designated Nationals Lists; as well as various US Drug Enforcement Administration Wanted Fugitive Lists.

  • Conducted by searching publicly available felony and misdemeanor convictions, including pending records, based on information revealed in a National Criminal Database search. This search uses a network of professional court and record researchers to perform county level searches for felony and misdemeanor level criminal records in the current county where the caregiver resides. This search will utilize primary source electronic databases maintained by governmental organizations or their agents in jurisdictions where available, and, where necessary, conduct physical court searches in jurisdictions where necessary to query electronic databases and/or request clerk assisted searches or other additional manual follow up. The search performed will review records based on the Reporting Scope.

    County included will be based on the most recent available address of the caregiver.

  • Search of publicly available felony and misdemeanor convictions, including pending records, based on Address History Scope that is returned from a SSN Trace or revealed in a National Criminal Database search.

    This search uses a network of professional court and record researchers to perform county level searches for felony and misdemeanor level criminal records in each identified county. This search will utilize primary source electronic databases maintained by governmental organizations or their agents in jurisdictions, where available, and, where necessary, conduct physical court searches in jurisdictions to query electronic databases and/or request clerk assisted searches or other additional manual follow up. The search performed will review records that extend back from the date of search for convictions based on the Reporting Scope.

  • Search using the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database to perform a search of federal felony and misdemeanor records at the district level in the federal districts. The search will review records that extend back from the date of search for convictions to seven years from the file date.

III. Motor Vehicle Records
Basic Background Check Badge Icon
A Motor Vehicle Records check will typically report information provided by a state’s Department of Motor Vehicles including the status of the operator's driving privileges, restrictions, expiration date, license type and class, endorsements, suspensions or revocations, violations, and accidents for the state where the applicant’s license was issued on the drivers license and state provided. Violations typically remain on the MVR report for three years, although convictions for serious offenses may be reported for five years or more, depending on the state. Information reported varies by state, and records in other states may not be included in the search of a state’s motor vehicles records database.
Motor Vehicle Records check identify the following:
  • Content

  • Content

  • Content

  • Content

Potential reasons for removal based on background check results
Criminal background checks:
Most results that are returned as a convicted felony or misdemeanor on a Basic Criminal or Enhanced Criminal background check will result in a removal from the Sittercity site.
Motor Vehicle Records checks:
If a Motor Vehicle Records check returns any infractions, a badge will not appear on the profile. Certain restrictions/license statuses may be returned and may or may not be flagged. It is important to review the detailed copy of a report in order to see these statuses. If the results of a Motor Vehicle Records check show any of the offenses below, the individual will be removed from the website:
  • Any charge that states it is a felony
  • Most charges that state it is a misdemeanor
  • Driving under the influence (DUI); driving while intoxicated (DWI); operating under the influence (OWI); operating/driving while impaired; drug related offense; failure to submit to a sobriety test
  • Violence related offense; vehicular assault; homicide, manslaughter, or vehicular homicide
  • Driving while driver’s license is expired, suspended, or revoked; driving without a drivers license
  • Allowing unlicensed driver to operate vehicle
  • Drag racing
  • Reckless driving; careless driving; negligent driving; racing
  • Hit and run; leave the scene of an accident; fail to report accident
  • Evading or fleeing a police officer
  • Fail to pay fines or fail to appear in court
  • Child restraint violation
  • Habitual offender
Limitations of background checks
Criminal record information can vary by state, county, and local systems. Some states restrict the ability to report information over 7 years old, and many states prohibit the reporting of criminal records other than convictions. In some states, criminal background vendors do not have access to every court in every county, and lower level courts are not always searched. As a result, some jurisdictions will only reveal felony-level records. While background checks can uncover useful information about the subject, they are not infallible and are only one part of a thorough selection process.
The Basic Criminal background check does not include federal records or municipal court records. Download to see what is included.
Not all records are publicly available in all jurisdictions and in many jurisdictions there is a delay before records are publicly available. Records not available to third party Credit Reporting Agencies, or not allowed to be reported by law, are not included in results. Juvenile records and records for minors may not be publicly available and, if so, will not be included in results. Background reports are processed in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and applicable state law. That means that generally, reports will not contain non-conviction information (deferred adjudications or pending cases, etc ) that are restricted from being reported over a certain time frame. Dismissed cases, arrests not resulting in convictions, arrests or convictions from foreign countries and cases that were not prosecuted (i.e. nolle pros) generally will not be on a report. At times, a charge may appear on a report that was dismissed or otherwise legally allowed to be reported by the background check company that did not result in conviction. All records are reviewed on a case-by case basis in accordance with all applicable laws. After an individual review of any records on a report, the individual may be removed from the website. Background check badges expire on Sittercity after 90 days. Only caregivers receive copies of a completed background check report which can be shared at their discretion. Detailed results are encouraged to be reviewed regardless of final badge status.
For other questions about background checks, please contact Checkr directly by phone at 1.844.824.3257 or by email at support@checkr.com
Sitter badge guide
Background checks and other certifications that sitters may have are communicated on the Sittercity site through badges:
Ⅰ. Background check badges
Ⅱ. IDV badges
Ⅲ. Other badges
Ⅰ. Background check badges
Possible badge statuses for background checks include:
Never run
Background check has never been run on the Sittercity platform.
PROFILE TEXT:
Never run
BADGES:
Incomplete Basic Background Check Badge Icon Incomplete Enhanced Background Check Badge Icon Incomplete Motor Vehicle Records Check Badge Icon
Pending
Background check is in progress. Check back soon for an update.
PROFILE TEXT:
Pending. Check for results soon.
BADGES:
Incomplete Basic Background Check Badge Icon Incomplete Enhanced Background Check Badge Icon Incomplete Motor Vehicle Records Check Badge Icon
Completed, badge awarded
Background check has been completed and badge awarded. See above for more details on what all background checks cover.
PROFILE TEXT:
Completed [date]. Contact the directly caregiver to see the report.
BADGES:
Complete Basic Background Check Badge Icon Complete Enhanced Background Check Badge Icon Complete Motor Vehicle Records Check Badge Icon
Completed, badge awarded with records
Background check results met requirements for badge. See above for more details on what all background checks cover.
PROFILE TEXT:
Completed [date]. Badge has been awarded, but we recommend contacting the sitter to see results.
BADGES:
Met Requirements Basic Background Check Badge Icon Met Requirements Enhanced Background Check Badge Icon Met Requirements Motor Vehicle Records Check Badge Icon
Completed, no badge awarded
Background check results did not meet requirements for badge. See above for more details on what all background checks cover.
PROFILE TEXT:
Completed [date]. This check was completed, and the caregiver did not meet requirements to receive the badge.
BADGES:
Incomplete Basic Background Check Badge Icon Incomplete Enhanced Background Check Badge Icon Incomplete Motor Vehicle Records Check Badge Icon
Expired
Background check results have expired. On Sittercity, background check badges expire after 90 days.
PROFILE TEXT:
Expired on [date].
BADGES:
Incomplete Basic Background Check Badge Icon Incomplete Enhanced Background Check Badge Icon Incomplete Motor Vehicle Records Check Badge Icon
II. IDV badges
ID Document Verification is a process that checks that the government issued ID is legitimate. This can be enhanced by using biometric information from a selfie to establish that the person presenting the ID is the same individual whose portrait appears on the ID. Our vendor partner Berbix's forensics platform performs a range of fraud checks on both the document and provided images to predict the likelihood of authenticity.
Not complete
This user has not completed the identity document verification process.
BADGE:
Incomplete IDV badge icon
Complete
This user has completed the identity document verification process.
BADGE:
Complete IDV badge icon
III. Other badges
Outside of background checks run through Checkr, sitters can also indicate if they have CPR and First Aid certifications. Please note that these certifications are currently self-reported and not verified by Sittercity.
Not reported
A sitter hasn’t indicated that they are certified in CPR or certified in First aid.
PROFILE TEXT:
Not reported
BADGES:
Incomplete First Aid Badge Icon Incomplete CPR Badge Icon
Self-reported
A sitter has indicated that they are certified in CPR or certified in First aid.
PROFILE TEXT:
Certification is self-reported and not verified. Verify directly with the sitter.
BADGES:
Complete First Aid Badge Icon Complete CPR Badge Icon