The latest Confluence podcast episode on The Pennsylvania Key’s website discusses how early childhood education providers can protect their programs from falsified documents.
The episode, How to Protect Yourself from Falsified Documents in Your Child Care Program, is a conversation between podcast host Ruby Martin, director of Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s (OCDEL) Bureau of Certification Services, and Brad Hamm, the regional manager of the bureau’s Central Region.
Tips for Preventing Falsified Documents
In the podcast, Martin and Hamm discuss what falsified documents might look like, how to prevent receiving them, and the repercussions of submitting them.
“The deceit that occurs through falsified statements can be devastating to your program if health and safety are compromised,” Martin said. “Taking the extra step to make sure this is not occurring is important.”
Hamm listed a variety of documents that could be falsified by existing or incoming staff members:
- Trainings that staff claimed to have – but didn’t – attend
- Degrees or diplomas
- Health assessments
- First Aid or CPR certificates
- Fire and emergency drill documentation
- Zoning and occupancy permits
- Deleted camera footage that might have been useful for an investigation
“Case law makes it clear that altering documents constitutes deceit,” Hamm said. “Whoever is responsible for submitting documents has an obligation to vet them to make sure there is no falsification there. If a document doesn’t look right, question it.”
The background check process can be arduous, Martin said, but employers should be sure to give materials they receive a close look.
“If someone hands you a form or a background check, you’re usually thankful to have it – and it’s one more thing to check off,” she said. “But it’s important to review the information that staff hands to you.”
The Confluence’s monthly podcast helps listeners to understand the complexities of OCDEL’s Bureau of Certification Services. To listen to podcast episodes, visit The Pennsylvania Key’s website.
