What is the purpose of a criminal background check?
Criminal background checks are required to ensure that potential foster homes are safe, and that no persons living in foster homes have criminal histories that will affect a child in the home. It’s possible for people with felonies and misdemeanors to become licensed as foster parents, depending on what the crime was and how long ago it happened. There are some crimes—based on the federal caregiver law—that prevent some people from ever becoming foster parents. Prospective foster parents and any child over the age of 10 that resides in the home must agree to undergo a criminal background check in order to become licensed.
