(a) All owners, employers and operators of child-care or child-residential treatment facilities shall apply for a Virgin Islands Sex Offender Background Check through the Department of Justice of all prospective employees and volunteers. The child-care facility owner, employer or operator must collect from the prospective employee or volunteer verification of his or her identity in the form of a government issued photo identification card and social security card and retain a copy of these documents for its files.
(b) The Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs shall require each individual applicant for a business license to operate a child-care or child-residential treatment facility to provide verification from the Department of Justice that a Virgin Islands Sex Offender Background Check was conducted of the applicant and that the applicant is not listed in the Virgin Islands Sex Offender Registry and is therefore not required to register pursuant to the requirements of this chapter.
(c) A child-care or child-residential facility licensed in the United States Virgin Islands shall not hire or retain for employment or as a volunteer a person listed in the Virgin Islands Sex Offender Registry or in any sex offender registry who is required to register pursuant to this chapter.
(d) The Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs shall not issue a business license to: (1) an applicant for a license to operate a child care or child residential treatment facility who is listed in the Virgin Islands Sex Offender Registry or any sex offender registry and required to register pursuant to this chapter; or (2) an applicant for a license to operate a child care or child residential treatment facility whose employee or prospective employee is listed in the Virgin Islands Sex Offender Registry or any sex offender registry and is required to register pursuant to this chapter.
(e) For purposes of this chapter, child-care facility means any program for children, including but not limited to day-care centers, schools, after-school programs, summer programs and camps.
(f) The Department of Human Services shall not authorize as a “foster home” or “adoptive home” any home in which a person who is listed in the Virgin Islands Sex Offender Registry or in any sex offender registry and required to register pursuant to the requirements of this chapter resides.
(g) The Department of Education and operators of all private and parochial schools in the Virgin Islands shall apply for a Virgin Islands Sex Offender Background Check through the Department of Justice of all prospective employees and volunteers who will be in direct contact with children. The prospective employee or volunteer must provide verification of his or her identity in the form of government issued photo identification and social security card. The Department of Education and operators of all private and parochial schools in the Virgin Islands shall not hire or retain for employment or as a volunteer a person listed in the Virgin Islands Sex Offender Registry or in any sex offender registry and is required to register pursuant to this chapter.