The “Lex Romana” Team played in the 31st Annual Judge Kenneth Lae Charity Golf Tournament to support the Orange County Bar Association Charitable Fund.

Mike Santoni, Joseph S. D’Antony, John R. DiCaroJoseph A. Ferrucci

Italian Lawyers & Investigators supporting the Orange County Bar Association!

California Passes Law to Shed Light on Criminal Background Checks, or Lack Thereof

California Passes Law to Shed Light on Criminal Background ChecksIt’s hard to believe but the holidays are just weeks away. And during this time many families, especially those with working parents, scramble to find Winter camps or classes for their kids during the vacation break. For years, parents have taken for granted that these programs have screened their staff to weed out child predators, but in recent years we have heard all over the news about an increasing amount of child molestation cases.

And yet, not all businesses that come in contact with children have to conduct criminal background checks, and their employees don’t have to disclose if they’ve been arrested for felony cases when there have been no convictions. Furthermore, information may not be complete or incorrect, making searching the Meghan’s Law website, a database of sex offenders, even more challenging for parents.

Because of the publicized child abuse incidents and the lack of employee screening, momentum has been building for more laws to protect kids.

Parents, Fear No More?

In an effort to prevent child abuse, Governor Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 1852, which requires that all businesses where employees work directly with minors must prominently disclose in writing whether or not they have employee criminal background checks on file. To be clear, the new law, which takes effect January 2015, doesn’t require these businesses to conduct the employee background checks only to tell you their policy on whether they obtain them.

The law doesn’t affect child care centers or schools, which have their own set of rules to protect children. AB 1852 affects businesses providing mentoring, tutoring, or instructional services such as math tutors or dance schools, to name just a few after school program activities.

Choosing After School Program Activities Wisely

The new law may not be 100{2f3748b5ca5ab0ef62f1154c571df9c56b0d52fa28ba96fa4f869e5919b9e929} comforting but it does arm parents with more information about who their kids come in contact with. Some businesses may not have been forthcoming about their employee screening policies but now they’ll be forced to disclose whether they’ve been lax in this area. And if they start losing customers it may encourage more businesses to vet their staff better. Come January, parents can make better informed decisions about their kids’ extracurricular activities.

Assurance through Criminal Background Checks

For companies that want ensure their clients’ safety and protect their business through full criminal background checks, Santoni Investigations & Backgrounds offers these services and more. Customizable reports can be ordered to comply with state laws while satisfying customers’ need for assurance that their children will be safe. Santoni has access to the most up-to-date databases and the experience to verify the information so that all parties can focus on the kids.

Learn more about Employment Background Screening:

Online Background Checks: They Aren’t What You Think

Free Background Checks May Really Cost You

Roundtable at Orange County Law Firm- Keys to Locating & Serving Evasive Subjects

Additional Reading:

Locate / Skip-Trace Investigations

Looking For Someone?  Try the Ex-Factor

Newport Irvine Rotary Club Welcomes Us!

<[>Thank you to Patricia Brainerd and club president Bob Fish for inviting us in to speak with their members. They work hard to generate funds to support so many good causes, including wheel chairs for underprivileged people in third world countries. A great group of professionals with a mission to serve others with pride and dignity.