Virginia Takes Small Step in Foster Care Reform

It may shock our readers that this small step isn’t already in every state’s legislation. The step we are referring to is conducting a criminal background check on every adult living in the foster home prior to a child being placed.

In Virginia, many of the local agencies have conducted these checks, but since it was not law, there have been inconsistencies in the policy. This inherently puts children at risk.

Last week, the bill that requires criminal background checks on any person 18 or older that lives in a foster home was signed by Governor Bob McDonnell.

“According to Johanna Schuchert, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Virginia, Virginia has a “state supervised” system not a “state mandated” system.

She said that state departments can set a policy, but unless that policy is law, the departments cannot make the local agencies comply.

“Social service agents are hired by the local government, so I can understand the Virginia DSS wanting to put the policy into code.”

Criminal background checks required for all adults in foster homes
[Daily Press 3/23/11 by Alissa Smith]

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