Foster Care Fingerprinting

Background checks that include fingerprints are required for everyone who aspires to provide foster care to children. This is done so that pre-screened individuals can be contacted on short notice, as there is not usually much time to do this whenever children need to be placed. With their mobile service, Binary Biometrics makes foster care fingerprinting a breeze.

Requirements

Foster parents and all adults residing in a particular household must undergo a background screening before children can be placed in that home. These foster care background checks include local, state, and national law enforcement databases, and may also include child abuse or neglect registries as well. Even those who simply volunteer in a foster care program must be screened in order to ensure the safety of the children that are represented. This is done in an effort to prevent so-called dangerous individuals from becoming foster parents, and there could be additional interviews with family, friends and co-workers performed as well.

What is Needed?

Before undergoing foster care fingerprinting, individuals will need to fill out an affidavit from the Florida Department of Families and Children. In this affidavit, applicants will attest to their good moral character and lack of criminal convictions. After completing this form, the agency will provide a Livescan submission form to be used by Binary Biometrics when taking digital fingerprints. This form will also include an agency identifying number that is used to ensure the results are transmitted to the proper authorities when they are received.

The Process

When having foster care fingerprinting performed, individuals will need to show a picture ID along with the documents obtained from the Florida Department of Families and Children. After that, a technician will enter the agency identifier into the database before taking a set of fingerprints. Applicants will also need a form of payment at the time fingerprints are taken. Approved methods are cash, personal check, Visa, MasterCard and American Express. The results of the background check will be forwarded to the Department of Families and Children, who will then notify the individual as to the outcome.

Disqualifying Crimes

Foster care fingerprinting will normally reveal all criminal offenses an individual has been convicted of. Serious crimes will normally disqualify an individual from being approved as a foster parent. Most felonies, violent crimes and sex offenses, as well as offenses dealing with abuse or neglect of a dependant or certain drug crimes fall into this category. In addition, if minor crimes are discovered, yet were not disclosed on the original affidavit, this too could lead to a prospective foster parent’s application being denied as well. When filling out this form, it’s better to be safe rather than sorry.

Foster parents provide an essential service to children in need, and therefore must be chosen very carefully. With their professional and convenient service, Binary Biometrics makes it easy for the Florida Department of Families and Children to maintain a database of qualified individuals who can provide expert care at a moment’s notice.