Frederick Ryan, Chief of Police
112 Mystic St.
Arlington, MA 02474
For Immediate Release
Friday, Sept. 2, 2016
Contact: Captain Richard Flynn, PIO
Office: 781-316-3907
Cell: 781-844-1224
Email: rflynn@town.arlington.ma.us
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Arlington Police Provide Resources for Researching Child Care Providers
ARLINGTON — Following this week’s incident, where a babysitter from Care.com was found allegedly drunk and high while watching a 3-year-old boy, Chief Frederick Ryan and the Arlington Police Department are providing residents with resources to research prospective child care providers to better ensure their children remain safe at all times.
When searching for a babysitter, parents and guardians can conduct a background check on an individual through the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) by visiting the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services online.
Once on the homepage, click on the CORI link in the left hand column under “Our Organization.” Then scroll down to the Child Care Provider Request Form under the “I want to Request Someone Else’s CORI” heading. Here, a form and the directions for use are provided. Community members can also obtain the form here.
To submit the form, residents will be required to pay a $25 processing fee to the Commonwealth. Parents and guardians will then receive a Level 2 Category of Access, which includes all adult/youth offender convictions, non-convictions and pending offenses. Community members can also contact the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services CORI Unit at 617-660-4640 for additional information not provided online.
“You can never be too cautious when it comes to your children,” Chief Ryan said. “While the overwhelming majority of child care providers are more than responsible and of good character, one should never assume that is the case. We advise that residents take extra precautions when hiring a care giver by submitting a CORI form and requesting references. Never rely on one report to make a decision about a person. Use all resources available to you to ensure you have the best possible picture of a person’s character before allowing them into your home and in contact with your children.”
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