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MISSOULA- Early childhood advocates in Missoula want fingerprint background checks to be a requirement for everyone in Montana working in daycares. They hope this will prevent sex or violent offenders from being hired to provide child care.

Child Care Resources Executive Director Kelly Rosenleaf says the current Montana law doesn't require fingerprint background checks, unless the person being hired lived out of state in the last five years. She says while some states require fingerprint background checks, others don't.

The U.S. General Accounting Office looked at different states in a recent national surevey and found violent or sex offenders working in daycares. Wjile Child Care Resources administrators say they're not aware of sex or violent offenders being found in Montana daycares, some daycare providers in the state have been charged for raping children in their care.

"I would like there to be finger print background checks and a look at the national sex offender registry for everyone working in childcare to protect our children to the best we are able to do. If we're not able to do that in Montana, I would like to it to happen nationwide. We've not been successful in Montana so far," Rosenleaf said.

On the federal level, both the House and Senate have bills that would create requirements for all states to conduct fingerprint background check for all day care workers.

The House bills are HR 1711 and HR 1726. The Senate bill is S581. Early childhood advocates encourage parents and other community members to call their representatives and ask them to support these bills.

Here's the full "Child Care: Overview of Relevant Employment Laws and Cases of Sex Offenders at Child Care Facilities" study.

Contact Irina Cates