TrustLine

What is TrustLine?

TrustLine is California’s registry of in-home child care providers, tutors, in-home counselors, and child care staff who have passed a background screening. It was created by the California Legislature in 1987 and is a powerful resource for parents hiring a nanny or baby-sitter. All caregivers listed with TrustLine have been cleared through a fingerprint check of records at the California Department of Justice.

Who administers TrustLine?

TrustLine is administered by the California Department of Social Services and the non-profit California Child Care Resource and Referral Network. It is endorsed by the California Academy of Pediatrics.

What does TrustLine check?

TrustLine checks the backgrounds of an applicant for criminal convictions or substantiated child abuse reports in California. TrustLine is the only background check authorized by state law to use three databases that the general public, including private investigators and private background check companies, cannot access. These databases include the fingerprint records from the California Department of Justice’s California Criminal History System; the Child Abuse Central Index of California; and fingerprint records of the FBI Criminal History System.

How does TrustLine work?

Applicants complete a one-page form, which requires submitting fingerprints and a one-time fee of approximately $124.00, to the Department of Social Services. If applicants pass the background check they are listed on the TrustLine database. Both the applicant and nanny agency will receive a letter between 2 to 6 weeks of submission stating whether the applicant passed or has been rejected. To check if a provider is listed on TrustLine or has an application processing, families can call 1-800-822-8490.

Why is TrustLine needed?

All employment agencies (nanny and baby-sitter placement agencies) are required by state law to register their caregivers with TrustLine upon placement. Thousands of applicants who have applied to be on the TrustLine registry have been disqualified because of past criminal activity. TrustLine has denied applicants with convictions such as murder, manslaughter, willful child cruelty, and kidnapping.

Is TrustLine effective?

Yes, TrustLine is a very effective tool, but it is just one important tool to help you choose the best in-home caregiver for your child. Our agency also conducts its own background checks not limited to multi-state offender search, national criminal record search, global database watch lists (In compliance with the Patriot Act), and motor vehicle records search. Additionally, our expert recruiters conduct detailed reference checks and social media checks to collect as much information as possible on an applicants character and previous history.  

**Resource: Trustline.org**