EEC BRC Requirements: Fingerprinting

Questions in this section are about who must be fingerprinted and how often, as well as about the letter that is sent to BRC candidates notifying them to schedule an appointment for fingerprinting at an IdentoGo™ site.

If I need to renew my program license with EEC every 2 years must I get fingerprinted every 2 years?

Both BRCs and fingerprints need to be renewed every 3 years, unless EEC makes you run it again sooner (e.g., if you are the subject of an investigation, have lived out of state,  provided false or misleading information to EEC, or had a break in employment of one year or more).

The BRC renewal cycle is independent of a license renewal cycle.

Who in an EEC-licensed program must be fingerprinted for a program to obtain or renew a license?

A licensee candidate seeking to obtain or renew an EEC license or approval must confirm that the candidate, all employees, interns and all persons present in the program with the potential for unsupervised access to children have completed a fingerprint-based scan through EEC within the past 3 years.

In addition, a final suitability determination from EEC on the fingerprint result is required for program licensees and all Family Child Care Programs (including a Certified Assistant, household members and persons regularly on the premises) in order to receive a license and/or certificate.

EEC Licensors will work with programs prior to their renewal to ensure compliance with this requirement. The program’s license will remain in a pending status until the EEC Licensor is able to certify that all program staff and affiliated individuals have undergone a fingerprint check. 

How long is the result of my fingerprint check good for and do I need a new one when I renew my BRC?

The results of fingerprint checks are good for up to 3 years. You may be fingerprinted sooner if an exception applies in EEC’s regulations.

If you are applying to multiple roles, you may need to submit another fingerprint. The results of other (non-fingerprint) BRCs are good for 3 years.

In most cases, a candidate’s BRC renewal and fingerprint renewal will be mostly aligned, unless the candidate waited a long time to get their fingerprints taken.

How do I know if a fingerprint check has been completed on a candidate within the past 3 years?

The candidate’s BRC results in the Navigator BRC Program Portal reflects a “fingerprint renewal” date, which is the date when the fingerprint expires. If a candidate is moving programs within 4 months of their fingerprint expiration date, then EEC will require a new BRC.

If there is still some uncertainty, you can always contact the BRC Unit at 617-988-7841 or submit a ticket using the BRC Support Tool at: https://massgov.service-now.com/brc for confirmation.

How do I book a fingerprinting appointment? What is IdentoGo™?

EEC provides detailed instructions on how to register for fingerprinting on its fingerprint notification letter. It is extremely important that you use the identification you provided to your employer when they input your BRC. If your name does not exactly match what you provide as an identification document, then you may be turned away from your appointment. 

The letter includes an ID number that a candidate will need to register for fingerprinting on the IdentoGo™ website.

To schedule a fingerprinting appointment (walk-in service is not available), please visit the IdentoGo™ website at: http://www.identogo.com/FP/Massachusetts.aspx or call (866) 349-8130. You cannot book a fingerprinting appointment without a fingerprint notification letter.

How soon after submitting a candidate for a BRC will their fingerprint notification letter be sent?

Fingerprinting is the first part of the process via the Navigator BRC Program Portal. It will be sent to the candidate by e-mail right after the candidate is submitted. After a candidate completes a fingerprinting scan, the other checks will be triggered.

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