LINCOLN- Amid a statewide shortage of childcare workers, the Nebraska Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on LR191, which was meant to examine ways Nebraska could change the statutorily required fingerprint-based background check system. Sen. Teresa Ibach, who introduced the resolution, said the current process poses a serious threat to an already struggling industry.

The fingerprint system was established through two bills passed in 2019 and 2020 that placed the state in compliance with the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant Act. Since its enactment, some providers have said that delays in the process have held up new and existing childcare workers, and even cost several businesses qualified candidates.

Many of the testifiers at the hearing agreed with the concept of fingerprint background checks, but said the current process is slow and cumbersome. Fingerprinting is currently done at Nebraska State Patrol offices, and the data collected is sent to the Department of Health and Human Services for processing. Mitchell Clark, a policy adviser at First Five Nebraska, said this process should take between seven to 10 days, but Nebraska's average has been closer to 25 days.

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