Private schools must check workers and volunteers who serve children

Private schools must obtain criminal and Child Protection Registry checks for covered employees, contractors, and volunteers. Contractors and volunteers are covered when they have regular direct access to children. Employees include people seeking paid work, student teachers, and certain workers for related or parent organizations who have regular direct access to children. The criminal check uses fingerprints and covers Delaware and federal records, including child sex abuser information. The school must obtain a signed statement authorizing release of the Child Protection Registry check information. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and private schools must comply by September 1, 2026.

The State Bureau of Identification and the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families send check results to the private school's head or designee; the school decides whether a person is barred from serving there. These rules apply to criminal and Child Protection Registry checks for people covered by the private school requirements. Check information is confidential and may be disclosed only to the school's head or designee. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and private schools must comply by September 1, 2026.