ICPC State Pages

About the ICPC

The Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (AAICPC) was established in 1974 and consists of members from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The AAICPC has authority under ICPC to "promulgate rules and regulations to carry out more effectively the terms and provisions of this compact." The AAICPC obtains its Secretariat Services, as an affiliate of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA).

For more information, please visit the AAICPC website.

Contact the AAICPC

American Public Human Services Association
1133 Nineteenth Street, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 682-0100
fax: (202) 289-6555

Web Manager: Carla Fults [cfults@aphsa.org]

Click on a state to see it's page:

ICPC STATE Pages

Rhode Island

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern · Phone: 401-528-3840 · Fax: 401-528-3595

Rhode Island Criminal Background Checks/Abuse and Neglect Registry

Home Studies which Require Criminal / Perpetrator Record Checks

Rhode Island requires criminal background checks for the following home studies:

Foster Care
Relative Care
Relative-Foster Care
Foster-Adopt
Adoption
Parent

In parent home studies, all adult household members along with the parents will receive a state criminal background check.
In all other home study requests, fingerprinting and a state criminal background check will be conducted on all adult household members.,

Criminal Background Screening

The following methods are used to capture fingerprints to conduct criminal records checks:

Live Scan or other computerized technology
Finger Print cards
Other, specified below

Live Scan is used for fingerprinting. Fingerprint cards are only used when we cannot roll the person’s print clearly enough to be read by Live Scan. Manual records checks are abuse/neglect check.

Criminal background checks/screening via Live Scan or other computerized technology are offered at the following levels:

National

State or Local Criminal Record Checks Requirements/Process:

State checks are done via selected RI DCYF staff having access to Attorney General's criminal records database.

Applicant will not be approved if the person has committed any of the following misdemeanor or felony offenses:

LEVEL 1 OFFENSES

If an individual is disqualified for the arrest and/or conviction for any of the following offenses, that individual shall have a right to appeal for the purpose of demonstrating that he or she has not been arrested and/or convicted for such an offense.

*      Felony Child Abuse or Neglect

*      Felony Domestic Violence

*      Felony committed against a child

*      1st Degree Child Molestation

*      2nd Degree Child Molestation

*      Child Pornography

*      Circulation of obscene publications and shows

*      Sale or exhibition to minor of indecent publications, pictures or articles

*      Child nudity in publication

*      Transportation for Indecent purposes

*      Harboring

*      Prostitution

*      Pandering

*      Deriving support or maintenance from prostitution

*      Felony Drug Offense committed less than five (5) years ago*• Felony involving violence

*      Murder

*      Manslaughter

*      Rape

*      1st Degree Sexual Assault

*      2nd Degree Sexual Assault

*      Kidnapping

*      Car-jacking

*      1st Degree Arson

*      2nd Degree Arson

*      Mayhem

*      Felony Assault committed less than five (5) years ago

*      Felony Battery committed less than five (5) years ago

LEVEL 2 OFFENSES

If an individual is disqualified for the arrest and/or conviction for any of the following offenses, that individual shall have a right to appeal for the purpose of demonstrating his or her long standing record of excellence in child care:

•      Felony Assault committed over five (5) years ago

•      Felony Battery committed over five (5) years ago

•      Felony Drug Offense committed over five (5) years ago

•      Robbery

•      Breaking and Entering

•      Burglary

•      Illegal Possession of a Firearm

•      Misdemeanor Domestic Assault

     3rd Degree Sexual Assault

If an individual is disqualified for the arrest and/or conviction for any of the following offenses, when the offense does not involve a child, that individual shall have a right to appeal for the purpose of demonstrating his or her long standing record of excellence in child care:

•      Transportation for Indecent purposes

•      Harboring

•      Prostitution

•      Pandering

•      Deriving support or maintenance from prostitution

•      Circulation of obscene publications and shows

Types of Checks (Crim. & Abuse Neglect Registry)

Rhode Island requires the following types of criminal background and perpetrator checks (Federal (F), State (S), Local (L), Abuse and Neglect Registry (ANR), Not Required (NR)):

Federal State Local ANR NR

Relative y y y

Relative Foster Care y y y

Foster Care y y y

Adoption y y y

Parent y y

	Federal	State	ANR
Relative	y	y	y
Relative Foster Care	y	y	y
Foster Care	y	y	y
Adoption	y	y	y
Parent		y	y

Rhode Island provides Abuse and Neglect searches:

Wait Time for Criminal Records Results

Wait time for fingerprint results are:

Live Scan or other technology

State: 24 hours

Local/County: 24 hours

Manually - Fingerprint Card

State: 48-72 hours

Local/County: Not Offered

Verification of Criminal Records Results

Actual results/information contained in the Criminal Background
Signature verifying background check completed

On letterhead or by sign off on official registry request form.

Period of Time the Checks are Valid

State criminal checks valid for 6 months. Nationwide fingerprinting checks valid for 18 months.