ICPC State Pages

About the ICPC

The Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (AAICPC) was established in 1974 and consists of members from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The AAICPC has authority under ICPC to "promulgate rules and regulations to carry out more effectively the terms and provisions of this compact." The AAICPC obtains its Secretariat Services, as an affiliate of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA).

For more information, please visit the AAICPC website.

Contact the AAICPC

American Public Human Services Association
1133 Nineteenth Street, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 682-0100
fax: (202) 289-6555

Web Manager: Carla Fults [cfults@aphsa.org]

Click on a state to see it's page:

ICPC STATE Pages

California

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time · Phone: (916) 651-8100 · Fax: (916) 651-8144

California Criminal Background Checks/Abuse and Neglect Registry

Home Studies which Require Criminal / Perpetrator Record Checks

California requires criminal background checks for the following home studies:

Foster Care
Relative Care
Relative-Foster Care
Adoption
Other, specified below

California does not currently have a joint foster care and adoption assessment/home study process although under concurrent planning the placement agency assists licensed/approved caregivers that commit to wanting to adopt a child to complete the adoption home study process.
To a complete a parent home study for a child under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court a criminal background and child abuse registry check may be made.

Criminal Background Screening

The following methods are used to capture fingerprints to conduct criminal records checks:

Other, specified below

A Child Abuse Registry Check for in state or out-of-state is a name check. This check is non-fingerprint based and matches the subject’s name and other personal identifying information. A criminal record and FBI check is completed by Live Scan or other computerized technology. However, in specific pre-approved situations the Department of Justice may exempt certain individuals from the electronic submission request. The manual fingerprint card process is lengthy and should be used for hardship situations only.

Request For Exemption From Mandatory Electronic Fingerprint Submission Requirement Form: http://www.ag.ca.gov/fingerprints/pdf/bcii9004.pdf

Criminal background checks/screening via Live Scan or other computerized technology are offered at the following levels:

State
Local
Other, specified below

The use of Live Scan is offered at the state and local levels. The Department of Justice provides criminal background check results and subsequent criminal record history information to the agency that licenses/certifies/approves placement. The California criminal history check incorporates both state and local/county check of criminal history information as reported to the Department of Justice. It is not a separate local/county check of criminal history information. The FBI via the Department of Justice provides an initial check only and does not provide subsequent criminal history information.

State or Local Criminal Record Checks Requirements/Process:

California requires all individuals who care for or have contact with children in out-of-home placement to have a criminal background clearance or to have received a criminal record exemption from the licensing/approval agency; a completed FBI criminal history check; a Child Abuse Central Index check; and for any prospective caregiver in the home who has lived in another state in the past five years, an out-of-state child abuse registry check.
- Foster Family Homes: Health and Safety Code section 1522
- Relative Homes and Approved Relative Homes: Welfare and Institutions Code section 361.4
- Adoptive Homes: Family Code section 8712

Applicant will not be approved if the person has committed any of the following misdemeanor or felony offenses:

All convictions other than minor traffic violations, including misdemeanors, felonies and convictions that occurred a long time ago require an exemption. Additionally, individuals convicted of serious crimes including but not limited to a felony conviction for child abuse or neglect, spousal abuse, crimes against a child, including child pornography, or for a crime involving violence, including rape, sexual assault, or homicide, but not including physical assault and battery will not be approved or licensed. A list of these crimes are contained in Health and Safety Code sections 1522 (g)A)(i), and (c).

Types of Checks (Crim. & Abuse Neglect Registry)

California requires the following types of criminal background and perpetrator checks (Federal (F), State (S), Local (L), Abuse and Neglect Registry (ANR), Not Required (NR)):

Federal State Local ANR NR

Foster Care y y y y

Relative y y y y

Relative Foster Care y y y y

Adoption y y y y

Parent y

	Federal	State	Local	ANR	NR
Foster Care	y	y	y	y
Relative	y	y	y	y
Relative Foster Care	y	y	y	y
Adoption	y	y	y	y
Parent					y

California provides Abuse and Neglect searches:

Wait Time for Criminal Records Results

Wait time for fingerprint results are:

Live Scan or other technology

State: 48-72 hours

Local/County: 48-72 hours

Manually - Fingerprint Card

State: Not Offered

Local/County: Not Offered

Verification of Criminal Records Results

Actual results/information contained in the Criminal Background
Other, specified next

Criminal background check response is received from the California Department of Justice.

Period of Time the Checks are Valid

When an individual receives a criminal record clearance, the clearance will remain active as long as the individual is associated with a licensed/certified foster family home. If an individual is disassociated from one and not associated with another licensed/certified foster family home within two years his/her criminal record clearance will become inactive. For an approved relative home the criminal record check will remain active as long as child is in the relative placement. Adoption criminal record clearance remains active until adoption agency requests that Department of Justice close after adoption finalization.