Testimony: Educator Background Check Streamlining Amendment Act of 2022

Advocating for the safety and well-being of DC children is Children’s Law Center’s top priority. That’s why Children’s Law Center Supervising Policy Attorney Tami Weerasingha-Cote testified before the DC Council’s Committee of the Whole to share our concerns regarding the Educator Background Check Streamlining Amendment Act of 2022. Specifically, Tami noted that while this draft legislation is largely focused on streamlining the suitability screening process for individuals applying to work as a teacher or volunteer in DC schools and educational programs, it also has important implications for child safety and the District’s Child Protection Register.

We feel strongly that any person entrusted with the responsibility and care of children in our schools should be screened for their child abuse history in the District, and in any place where they have lived or worked.