1. The department shall conduct criminal and child and dependent adult abuse record checks of persons who are potential employees, employees, potential volunteers, and volunteers in service area offices in a position having direct contact with the department’s clients. The record checks shall be performed in this state and the department may conduct these checks in other states. If the department determines that a person has been convicted of a crime or has a record of founded child or dependent adult abuse, the department shall perform an evaluation to determine whether the crime or founded abuse warrants prohibition of the person’s employment or participation as a volunteer. The record checks and evaluation shall be performed in accordance with procedures adopted for this purpose by the department.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 217.44

  • Child: includes but shall not be limited to a stepchild, foster child, or legally adopted child and means a child actually or apparently under eighteen years of age, and a dependent person eighteen years of age or over who is unable to maintain the person's self and is likely to become a public charge. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Department: means the department of human services. See Iowa Code 249L.2
  • Dependent: shall mean and include a spouse, child, mother, father, grandparent, or grandchild who is in need of and entitled to support from a person who is declared to be legally liable for such support. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
 2. In an evaluation, the department shall consider the nature and seriousness of the crime or founded child or dependent adult abuse in relation to the position sought or held, the time elapsed since the commission of the crime or founded abuse, the circumstances under which the crime or founded abuse was committed, the degree of rehabilitation, the likelihood that the person will commit the crime or founded abuse again, and the number of crimes or founded abuses committed by the person involved.
 3. The department may permit a person who is evaluated to be employed or to participate as a volunteer if the person complies with the department’s conditions relating to employment or participation as a volunteer which may include completion of additional training.
 4. If the department determines that the person has committed a crime or has a record of founded child or dependent adult abuse which warrants prohibition of employment or participation as a volunteer, the person shall not be employed by or participate as a volunteer in a department service area office in a position having direct contact with the department’s clients.