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Fingerprinting Background Checks for Virginia Day Care Workers

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NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - All Virginia day care workers will have to undergo fingerprinting for a criminal background check after state lawmakers passed a bill intended to make sure the state doesn't lose out on federal funding.

The Virginian-Pilot reports child care providers will have to undergo the fingerprinting by the end of September. Previously, workers at churches and small, home-based centers not licensed by the state weren't included in the requirement.

Supporters said the change brings child care protections up to speed, but opponents called it government overreach.

The state had faced losing millions in federal funding if the requirement were not enacted. But a sunset provision means the legislation expires next year unless lawmakers take further action.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.