Pentagon to toughen background checks for daycare centers

Military child care providers would face more rigorous criminal background checks under new rules from the Department of Defense that could cost millions of dollars to implement.

The Pentagon says it is looking to protect children from sexual predators and other criminals at military daycares. The proposed rules would establish procedures for reporting and evaluating the criminal activities of people who work with military children.

{mosads}The background checks would look for people who have been convicted of felony drug offenses, sexual offenses and negligence that led to the death or injury of a child, among other red flags.

These people would not be allowed to work with military children.

“Any conviction for a sex crime, an offense involving a child victim, or a drug felony, may be grounds for denying employment or for dismissal of an employee,” the department wrote in the Federal Register.

Furthermore, those who successfully complete a background check would be required to self-report any such crimes they are involved in that could disqualify them from working with military children.

The Pentagon estimates the background checks would cost the government upwards of $10 million a year.

The public has 60 days to comment.