Fingerprinting

PLEASE READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION BEFORE SUBMITTING A REQUEST FOR A FINGERPRINTING APPOINTMENT

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I check to see if CREC Fingerprinting Services is open during inclement weather?

In the case of inclement weather, please call (860) 524-4003 to listen to an automated announcement regarding fingerprinting appointments.

Where do I get my “Service Code”?

Please contact your Board of Education (school/district) to obtain the service code. Without the service code you will not be able to pre-enroll or be fingerprinted.

Do I need to pre-enroll before showing up to my appointment?

Yes. You will need to pre-enroll prior to coming into the fingerprint office. Please keep track of your Applicant Tracking Number, this will be REQUIRED when you arrive to your fingerprint appointment.

I would like to apply to multiple schools. What is the process?

You will need service codes for each district that you want to be fingerprinted for. You will need to pre-enroll for each district.

I worked for one week at a school district and will be working again this year in the same district. Do I need to be fingerprinted again?

Yes, if you are not a continuous employee for a particular School District you will need to be re-fingerprinted. Your fingerprints can only be used for one hiring process and are not valid for future hiring processes as many things could have transpired with applicants since the time of the previous results and present day. A new request at this point in time is needed to establish their suitability for employment.

Who gets my results and when?

The results are sent directly to each school by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP). As the results are sent by the DESPP, CREC cannot confirm the timeline for delivery of the results.

Can CREC share any criminal history information with others, with or without my authorization?

Under the State of Connecticut FBI CJIS Security Policy, any and all criminal history information cannot be re-used for subsequent unrelated needs by the original requestor/recipient, and cannot be disseminated to another recipient for subsequent unrelated re-use, future anticipated uses, regardless of whether or not the needs are formally related and outside of a state's jurisdiction.

Fingerprinting Guidelines

The safety and welfare of students is of primary importance. CREC requires that all employees, and some categories of volunteers, college students and interns be fingerprinted and pass a criminal background check before having any contact with children in CREC’s schools or programs.

For the safety and security of our students, a complete background check must be completed by CREC Fingerprinting on all Level Two Volunteers prior to beginning the volunteer assignment. This includes everyone involved in, but not limited to, student teaching, interning, coaching or team activities, school committees, before and after school programs, athletic camps, mentors, chaperones, classroom and office helpers, and other school based programs.
All volunteers will complete a Volunteer Application and Criminal History Check Form. The level of background checks depends on your volunteer level:

Level One Volunteer - Supervised Volunteer

An individual who voluntarily performs services for CREC for a single event, a consecutive series of days, or several nonconsecutive days for a period of one (1) week or less. Supervised volunteers do not have unsupervised access to CREC students and are not required to submit to a background check.

Guest speakers or presenters, invited by authorized school personnel and with the approval of the building supervisor, shall not have unsupervised access to CREC students and are not subject to this policy.

Level Two Volunteer - Unsupervised Volunteer

Though always under the direction of a CREC supervisor, Unsupervised Volunteers may have some unsupervised access to students while providing assistance with tutoring, athletic, classroom, or overnight trip activities.

Level Two Volunteers must submit to both the national background check and fingerprinting (This includes volunteer mentors, coaches and college interns)

Note: Reports from background checks are usable within CREC on a need to know basis only, as per federal law. If the report has arrests or convictions that may disqualify a prospective student teacher, intern or volunteer, it will be discussed with the individual by a CREC administrator only and not shared with anyone else. When cleared, the student teacher, intern or volunteer is approved for any CREC school or program. Approval is continuous from year to year as long as there is not a break longer than three months (including summer breaks) in volunteering.
Information obtained in the process will be kept in strict confidentiality. A criminal record does not necessarily mean that a volunteer will be prevented from serving in the schools.

An individual whose criminal background check record reflects an offense that has a connection to the type of volunteer work applied for, as determined by the district administrator or their designee, will be refused as a volunteer for both supervised and unsupervised activities. If there is a question as to whether or not an offense has a connection to a volunteer activity, please contact the Human Resources Department.

This information is subject to change without notice.
(Revised: July 2021)