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Professionals

In this section you will find many resources to support your successful use of the Ohio Professional Registry (OPR). Please look around for all of the information and supports for early childhood, school-age and child serving professionals in Ohio for education, credentials, professional development verification, applications for OPR issued credentials, endorsements and certificates.

Background Check

What is the JFS 01177 or the JFS 01176 for Background Checks?

The JFS 01177 “Individual Notification of Background Check Review for Child Care” from ODJFS is made available for individuals to view electronically from their profile, in the OPR. This is the notification that the individual receives letting them know if they are eligible or ineligible to work in childcare.

The JFS 01176 “Program Notification of Background Check Review for Child Care” from ODJFS is made available for programs to view electronically from the organization dashboard, in the OPR. This is the notification that the program receives letting them know if the professional is eligible or ineligible to work in childcare. It also lists the date the professional needs new background checks.

How long does it take to get my results and who can I contact for questions?

Background checks can take up to 30 business days for completion. For processing questions, please contact ccbackgroundcheck@jfs.ohio.gov.

I submitted my background check request but did not receive a JFS 01176.

Individuals will not receive a JFS 01176 notification, only the requested program(s) will receive a JFS 01176. If the program did not receive a JFS 01176, the professional must ensure they selected that program license number when they submitted the background check request. If the program was not selected, the professional can request a new background check and select the program from the search screen within the request.


Background Check Resources

Background Check guidance 09.23   PDF   /   5 Pages

New OPR Background check video 09.23

Employment

The OPR requires that an employment record is entered in order to proceed. How do I enter an employment record?

An employment record is required to have an OPR profile. Please view our resource titled Employment Entry Guidance for more information on how to enter employment into your OPR profile.

 

I am currently not employed, I am a student, or I do not see a selection for me to enter my employment. How do I proceed?

An employment record is required to have an OPR profile. If you are currently unemployed you would select “Other Early Childhood Employment” and select “Currently not employed”. If you are a student, you would select “Other Early Childhood Employment” and select “Current Student”. If you do not see your exact role listed, please choose the option that closely reflects your employment type. Also consider the aspect of why you are using the OPR. Example: You are an instructor and wish to use the system for instructing, you would select “Other Early Childhood Employment” and select “Instructor and Program Technical Assistance” as that is how you are interacting with our system.


Employment Resources

Employment Entry guidance 09.23   PDF   /   7 Pages

 

Professional Development

How is the number of hours required to earn a PD certificate determined?

The number of hours needed for Professional Development (PD) Certificate each biennium is calculated based on either the date the program becoming STAR rated OR the date the professionals entered a qualifying role at a STAR rated program. Please use the prorating flow chart below to determine the number of required hours needed in the current biennium.

What is a qualifying role?

A qualifying role is an Administrator, a Lead Teacher or an Assistant teacher. Please check your employment records to be sure the roles are entered correctly as this will greatly affect the prorating in the system.

Why aren’t my non-OA Professional Development hours on my PD Certificate?

Only Ohio Approved Professional Development hours will appear on a Professional Development (PD) Certificate. Non-OA PD Events do not count towards the required hours.

How many points do I get for each Tier of Professional Development (PD) Certificate that I complete?

The Professional Development (PD) Certificate hours requirement can be different for everyone depending on their prorating, however the number of points received for each Tier is the same.

 

Tier 1 Professional Development Certificate= 5 points towards your CPL

Tier 2 Professional Development Certificate= 7 points towards your CPL (2 additional points added to Tier 1’s points)

Tier 3 Professional Development Certificate= 10 points towards your CPL (3 additional points added to Tier 2’s points)

Any additional Ohio Approved Professional Development that is completed after you achieve a PD Certificate Tier 3, you will earn .5 points per 1 hour completed.

Career Pathway Level Model

What is a Career Pathway Level?

The Career Pathways Level (CPL) provides a common, point-based system for licensing and Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) star rated programs as an alternative pathway to meet the education requirements for a child care staff member or administrator. The CPL uses an approved framework to document formal education, experience, training, and current credentials to achieve one of six professional designations.

How do I increase my Career Pathway Level?

A CPL level can be increased based on your education verified in your OPR profile. Higher education on the progression outlined in the CPL model will increase your level as well as verified professional development to earn a Professional Development Certificate.

It’s a new biennium. Why did my current CPL drop?

Your Career Pathway Level (CPL) is determined by many things, one of which is your Professional Development (PD) Certificate. Each biennium your PD Certificate resets to show you the required hours needed for that new biennium. When the PD Certificate resets, it removes any points you had prior for PD hours. But don’t worry, you will be Assessed As (found in the green circle at the top of your registry profile) until you either meet OR exceed the CPL of the previous biennium.

Opening a Child Care or Family Child Care Program

How do I open a childcare program?

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services assists with opening a child care program. Please visit ODJFS Type of Child Care in Ohio for information on becoming a childcare provider in the State of Ohio.

Who can help me open a childcare program?

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services assists with opening a child care program. A representative from your Local Resource and Referral Agency can also assist you with opening up a child care program in Ohio. To determine which local resource and referral agency is in your area, please visit our CCR&R Membership page.


Opening a Child Care or Family Child Care Program Resources

Types of Child Care in Ohio

Verification

How do I know the status of my submitted document for verification in the OPR?

Documents are reviewed in the order they are received and can take up to 45 business days for review by our team. To review the status of a document that you uploaded into your profile, navigate to the tab you wish to view, find the column labelled Status and you will find the status of the document here. If it is still submitted, that means one of our OPR Associates have not reviewed the document yet. If the document is verified, the document has been reviewed and confirmed authentic and verified. If the document is marked Unable to Verify, hover your mouse over the NOTES button to view the corrections that need made. Once you have made the requested corrections, re-upload the document for review.

I registered for and completed a Professional Development Event (PD Event) that was listed in the OPR. How do I get attendance verified in my profile?

Attendance will be provided by the instructor of the PD Event. You will not receive a certificate and the attendance will be be populated, either immediately upon or completion or within 14 business days, depending on what type of PD Event that you took.

I completed a PD Event in the OPR and do not have attendance in my profile more than 14 days after I completed the event. How do I get attendance for this PD Event?

You will need to contact the Training Organization responsible for the PD Event that you completed.  To determine who to contact follow these steps:

· Sign into your profile

· Click on the Professional Development tab

· Find the training

· Click ‘View’ in the Action column

· You are now on the Event Description page.

· Scroll down to “Event Information” section for the sponsor phone number.

· This is the Sponsor’s contact information.


Verification Resources

Required Documents for Verification