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TO: Licensed Child Day Centers, Licensed Family Day Homes, Licensed Family Day Systems, Religious Exempt Child Day Centers, Certified Preschools, Voluntarily Registered Family Day Homes, Subsidy Approved Programs
FROM: Jeffrey Williams, Director
SUBJECT: Enhancements to the Portal Used to Submit Virginia Central Registry Search Requests
The Office of Background Investigations (OBI) Central Registry Search Unit (CRS) with the Virginia Department of Social Services recently announced that the CRS provider portal used to submit Virginia Central Registry Search requests has been enhanced to allow applicants to provide an electronic signature to consent to the search. This enhancement eliminates the need to download the request form for signature and then uploading the hard copy form as long as the individual whose name is being searched has a valid email address.
Child care providers should continue to log into the Child Care Application Processing System, CCAPS to submit Virginia Central Registry Search requests and background check portability requests. After logging into CCAPS, select the CRS portal link to submit your background check requests.
Once in the CRS portal, you will notice new options. After completing the initial page for the designated point of contact, select “Create a Request,” and a new applicant page will appear. Enter and submit the applicant’s email address and first and last name as required. The system will then generate an email to the applicant to complete the required information and authorize their CRS request.
Once the applicant completes and submits the information authorizing the CRS request, you will receive that information in your provider portal. The next step is for you to move forward with payment and a CRS request submission to OBI. There will no longer be any downloading or uploading of forms with this new electronic process. You can opt to use the current process, which will remain available in the CRS Provider Portal for specific instances where an applicant cannot obtain an email address and is labeled “manual process”.
An updated quick reference guide with step by step instructions on submitting a Central Registry Search is expected soon and will be posted on the Department of Education’s child care website once available.
If you have questions regarding the CRS enhancements, please email crs_operations@dss.virginia.gov.
As a reminder, the CCAPS portal should only be used to submit Virginia Central Registry Search requests and background check portability requests. Applications for licensure or registration and filings for exemption should not be submitted through CCAPS. Applications and filings are to be submitted through the online portal instead.
If you have questions about submitting an application or exemption, please contact your licensing representative or email childcarelicensing@doe.virginia.gov.
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