A Vernon, B.C., preschool owner says long waits for provincial criminal record checks only exacerbate an early childhood educator shortage plaguing communities across the province.
Samantha Sewell of Raising Stars Preschool says she's trying to hire a new staff member, but has faced delays as she waits for a criminal record check to come back from the province.
Newly-hired early childhood educators (ECEs) require a criminal record check, but checks completed by a local RCMP detachment are not accepted. Requests must go through the B.C. government's online portal instead.
“At the time of writing this letter [Nov. 19], it has been over 10 days without clearance," Sewell told Castanet.
"I have emailed CRC services twice now, and was informed that they are only on checks that were sent in on Oct. 27. I am at risk of losing my ECE hire, as this ECE is without work, unable to get paid and make a living for her family.”
Sewell said the lengthy timeline puts an already-stretched field "more at risk."
“At risk for centres possibly accepting people before they get the check, at risk for centres closing due to not having enough staff with checks in time, and at risk of ECEs leaving the field because they need work more immediately," she said.
A 2021 report from the Early Childhood Educators of B.C. stated 45 per cent of ECE employers reported experiencing a net loss of staff across all positions.
In an emailed statement, the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General said the Criminal Records Review Process "processes criminal record reviews as efficiently as possible," completing between 250,000 and 300,000 checks each year.
"A standard clearance is generally issued ... within two weeks. When further investigation and decision are required, the processing time may be longer depending on such factors, such as the complexity of the file and backlogs," the statement said.
"The ministry is currently considering changes that can be made to increase efficiency in processing applications."
