'It makes me want to home school my kids, honestly'

By Matt Finn, KIMA Action News Published: Feb 3, 2012 at 7:25 PM PDT

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Parents across the Yakima Valley are registering their children for preschool. You might not think about who comes in contact with your child in the classroom, but Action News learned that some preschools don't perform background checks on volunteers and aren't required to.

Parents often ask for the instructor's credentials or even a background check. However other adults may be interacting with your child who have never been checked.

When shopping around for a daycare or preschool facility, parents might ask the standard questions about background check and qualifications of teachers and instructors. But volunteers are inside the facility and they do have access to your children.

Mandy Erickson says she was considering sending her child to EPIC Preschool in Yakima. She says an EPIC worker asked if she wanted to volunteer in the classroom.

"I thought I would love to be involved in that," Erickson said. "And I asked, OK, what kind of background check would I need to undergo."

Erickson says she was told no such check was needed.

"They had told me that basically parents can volunteer and they are not required to fill out a background check unless they are volunteering 20 hours or more," Erickson said.

I spoke with EPIC CEO Rick Doehle who said checks are required after 10 hours of volunteer service.

"At that time we will have you background checked because we consider you an ongoing volunteer," Doehle said.

The Department of Early Learning said all volunteers in licensed facilities must undergo background checks, but it does vary at what point that check is required. An unlicensed facility doesn't have to report on its standards.

"It makes me want to home school my kids, honestly," Erickson said.

The State Superintendent's office said if your child goes to a public preschool, you need to call them for their policy.

And it's probably a good policy for any preschool you're interested in, so you know up front what you're agreeing to.

Yakima, Selah, Wapato and West Valley school districts all said volunteers must undergo background checks before starting.