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A new digital system is designed to make background checks for child and adult protective services in West Virginia faster and more efficient.
Anyone applying to be foster, kinship or adoptive parents, along with their household members, certain employees and volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults, must pass a background check through the state Department of Human Services (DoHS).
Statewide, there were more than 27,000 applications processed last year, 57% of them submitted by mail.
Now, WV VeriCheck allows background check information to be submitted electronically through an online portal. It’s also designed to identify missing or incomplete information before the application is submitted.
“WV VeriCheck allows the Department to modernize a process that has traditionally relied on paper and manual processing,” DoHS Secretary Carl Ayers said. “Most importantly, this modernization strengthens an important safeguard for West Virginia’s children and vulnerable adults.”
Ayers said the checks help identify verified histories of maltreatment and serve as an important safeguard for child and adult populations in care.
The transition is expected to save roughly $25,196 in postage and stationary costs alone each year. It’s also expected to speed up the results of background checks that are needed to meet hiring, licensing and placement requirements.
Information about WV VeriCheck, including a user help guide, is available at bss.wv.gov/background-checks.