Social Sciences

For the Criminal Justice program, it is highly recommended that students earn associate of arts degrees and transfer to four-year institutions. Students may transfer to such places as Mt. Mercy University, the University of Northern Iowa, Central Missouri State, Upper Iowa University, St. Ambrose University, Simpson College, Iowa State University, and Iowa Wesleyan, and pursue bachelors degrees in Criminal Justice, Criminology, or Crime Analysis.

The following are agreements Kirkwood Community College has with various universities in Iowa for our Early Childhood Education students.

• Drake University
• Iowa State University
• Iowa Wesleyan College
• Mount Mercy University
• University of Iowa
• University of Northern Iowa
• Upper Iowa University

If you wish to transfer to a different college or university, please contact the program coordinator or the Advising and Transfer Center.

To view your specific compliance status information, log in to MyHub. All returning Early Childhood Education students must complete a new background check prior to re-entry into the program if it has been more than two years since the last background check was completed.

All students are required to complete the following background checks: Consent to Release form, DCI and Federal Finger Printing, Child Abuse, Dependent Adult Abuse, and Sex Offender registries. The Iowa check should be repeated a minimum of every two years during the course of the student's experience, and when the institution becomes aware of any possible transgressions.

Process

• Fingerprinting will be done in the Public Safety office. Please call 319-398-7777 to make an appointment prior to the deadline. Please bring all forms completed to your appointment. All the necessary information has been highlighted on the forms.
• Students enrolled in ECE 158 Curriculum I, ECE 221 Infant/Toddler Care and Education, ECE 159 EC Curriculum II and ECE 262 Field Experience will need to complete the background check within the first six weeks of the beginning of the term if a record check has not been completed at Kirkwood, or if it has been more than two years since the last record check.
• Students who have a clear record check at the state level will be allowed to begin participation in assignments with young children. Students who have a finding will be referred to the Department of Human Services (DHS) for review and decision before they are allowed to participate with children. The Federal Fingerprinting Record check takes six to eight weeks to be returned. If a student receives a finding when the Federal Fingerprinting results are received the student’s activities and interactions requiring direct contact with children may be terminated until a full evaluation is completed.
• DHS has the final authority in determining whether prohibition of the person’s involvement in childcare is warranted and in developing conditional requirements and corrective action plans.
• If a student is prohibited by DHS from involvement in a childcare center, the student will not be permitted to complete assignments and/or take courses requiring direct contact with children. 

Department of Human Services Childcare Center Licensing Rules, Administrative Code 109, state mandatory prohibitions from involvement in child care in the following situations:

1. Founded child or dependent adult abuse that was determined to be sexual abuse.
2. Placement on the sex offender registry.
3. Felony endangerment or neglect or abandonment of a dependent person
4. Felony domestic abuse.
5. Felony crime against a child including but not limited to, sexual exploitation of a minor.
6. Forcible felony (Administrative Rules, 109.6 a).

Additional convictions may prohibit a person from involvement in childcare for five years (see Chapter 109.6 b)

In all other transgressions the Department of Human Services will require an evaluation before the person is permitted to be involved in childcare.

In evaluation, the department and the employer of the person with the founded abuse or criminal record conviction shall consider the nature and seriousness of the founded abuse or crime in relation to the position sought, the time elapsed since the commission of the founded abuse or crime, the circumstances under which the crime was committed, the degree of rehabilitation, the likelihood that the person will commit the abuse or crime again, and the number of abuses or crimes committed by the person (109.6 c)

If, within five years prior to the date of application for registration or licensure under this chapter, for employment or residence in a child care facility or child care home, or for receipt of public funding for providing child care, a person subject to an evaluation has been convicted of a controlled substance offense under chapter 124 or has been found to have committed physical abuse, the person shall be prohibited from involvement with child care for a period of five years from the date of conviction or founded abuse. After the five-year prohibition period, the person may submit an application for registration or licensure under this chapter, or to receive public funding for providing childcare or may request an evaluation, and the department shall perform an evaluation and, based upon the criteria in paragraph "g", shall determine whether prohibition of the person's involvement with child care continues to be warranted. If the department determines, through an evaluation of a person's transgression, that the person's prohibition of involvement with childcare is warranted, the person shall be prohibited from involvement with childcare. The department may identify a period of time after which the person may request that another record check and evaluation be performed. A person who continues involvement with childcare in violation of this subsection is subject to penalty under section 237A.19 or injunction under section 237A.20.

• Full background results take 6-8 weeks to return. Therefore, you MUST call to make an appointment at the earliest point possible. Call 319-398-7777 for appointment.
• Select from the links below and then print, complete, and sign the documents. You may also receive the needed forms in class.
• Bring all the completed documents with you to your appointment.
• The resulting records will be returned to the Social Sciences department.

Forms To Be Printed - Link Listed Below

This is the first step of the background check process. Please schedule your appointment as soon as possible to ensure processing is within the correct timeframe. If the appointment takes place after the deadline, results may not be back in order for you to continue in the course/program, therefore requiring you to withdraw from the course/program.

**Must use a black or blue pen when filling out forms.**

Early Childhood Education Background Check Forms

• The cost is currently $45, which will be applied to your tuition.
• You may NOT use a previous background check from another source.

Evidence of Criminal Conviction

• If a background check returns with evidence of criminal conviction, the student will be notified in writing and further information will be required.
• The combined information will be presented to DHS for an evaluation to determine whether participation with children is possible.

**NOTICE: If you have a criminal history and are concerned about whether you would meet the standards for service learning or field experience participation, you may have a background check completed prior to enrollment into the program. Simply complete the process noted above and make a notation on the release waiver that the procedure is being done as a pre-screening. A second background check would be required prior to the start of the course/program if the preliminary check indicates no exclusion from working with children.

In order to participate in early care and education programs, you MUST be compliant with requirement standards. Failure to do so will result in withdrawal from the program. After you have read these instructions, questions may be directed to the coordinator of Early Childhood Education at 319-398-1258.