Background Checks for Foster Care in Manitoba: The Three Checks Explained

The background check stage is where a lot of prospective foster parents in Manitoba quietly drop out of the process — not because they have anything disqualifying in their history, but because no one explained what the checks actually are, what they look for, or why Manitoba requires ones that most Canadians have never heard of.

Manitoba requires three separate screening checks for every adult living in the household. Here's exactly what each one involves, how to obtain it, and what reviewers are looking for.

Check 1: Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC)

This is the check most people are familiar with. In Manitoba, it must be conducted through the RCMP or your local police service (in Winnipeg, that means the Winnipeg Police Service).

The standard Criminal Record Check shows convictions under the Criminal Code of Canada and any other federal statutes. But for foster care, you need the enhanced version: a Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC).

The VSC adds a search for pardoned sex offences. Under federal law, a sexual offence conviction can be pardoned (record suspended), which would normally make it invisible on a standard check. The VSC bypasses this and specifically searches for those pardoned records when the applicant will be working with vulnerable populations, including children.

How to get it in Manitoba:

• Winnipeg Police Service: Apply online or in person at 777 Portage Avenue. Cost: approximately $65. Processing time: 2–3 weeks for standard service; online submission typically faster.
• RCMP (outside Winnipeg): Apply through your local detachment or the RCMP's online system. Cost: $10 for the basic check, plus a possible additional fee for the VSC component. Processing time: 4–6 weeks via mail; faster if submitted locally.

Bring two pieces of government-issued ID; one must include both a photo and signature. A driver's licence plus a health card or passport works.

Some agencies provide letters that waive police fees for volunteers, but foster parent applicants generally pay the fee themselves. Confirm with your specific agency before submitting.

Check 2: Manitoba Child Abuse Registry (CAR) Check

This is the check that catches people off guard, because it's Manitoba-specific and doesn't exist in most other provinces.

The Child Abuse Registry is a provincial database that tracks individuals who have been determined to have abused a child. A name is placed on the registry if:

• There is a criminal conviction for child abuse
• A family court has made a finding of child abuse
• A Child Abuse Committee has determined that a person abused a child (even without a criminal conviction)

That last category is what surprises people. You can end up on the Child Abuse Registry through a committee determination — not just a criminal conviction. This means the registry captures situations where the evidence wasn't sufficient for a criminal charge but was sufficient for an administrative finding.

What the check reveals: Whether your name appears on the registry. If it does, you are not eligible for a foster home license.

How to obtain it: Submit a written request to the Director of Child and Family Services. For foster home applicants, the standard $20 fee is waived.

Processing time: Typically 2–4 weeks.

Check 3: Manitoba Adult Abuse Registry (AAR) Check

The Adult Abuse Registry operates on the same principle as the Child Abuse Registry but covers the abuse or neglect of vulnerable adults — people with intellectual disabilities, elderly individuals in care, and patients in residential settings.

This check is required because foster parents sometimes care for children who are transitioning into adulthood with special needs, and because the vulnerability of children in care overlaps with the population the AAR is designed to protect.

What the check reveals: Whether your name appears on the Adult Abuse Registry.

How to obtain it: Submit a request to the Manitoba Vulnerable Persons Commissioner's office. The standard $20 fee is waived for foster home applicants, just as with the CAR check.

Processing time: Similar to the CAR check — typically 2–4 weeks.

The "Prior Contact" Check: What It Actually Is

The prior contact check is not a separate formal registry. It's a review conducted by your agency's social worker as part of the home study process.

The worker will ask you to disclose any previous contact with child and family services — whether as a child in care yourself, as a parent involved in a protection case, or as someone investigated (even if nothing came of it). The worker then contacts relevant agencies to verify what's on file.

This is the check that creates the most anxiety. People worry that a brief home visit from a social worker fifteen years ago will permanently disqualify them.

It doesn't automatically. Prior contact is evaluated in context. What matters is:

• What the contact was about — a wellness check is treated differently than a protection investigation
• How the situation was resolved — was there a finding, or was it closed without action?
• What's changed since then — evidence of stability, growth, and addressed concerns matters

The key is disclosure. Failing to mention prior contact and having the worker discover it independently during verification is far more damaging to your application than disclosing it upfront and providing context.

One Check Most Applicants Don't Expect

If you've ever worked in a regulated profession — nursing, teaching, social work — your professional regulatory body may have a separate record of disciplinary proceedings. Your agency may request this as well, though it's not a separate formal provincial registry. Flag it proactively if it applies to you.

All Adults in the Household

Every adult aged 18 or older living in your home must complete all three checks. This includes:

• Your spouse or partner
• Adult children living at home
• A parent or grandparent who shares the home
• Any other adult in a regular care role

There are no exceptions to this requirement. If a new adult moves into the home after your license is issued, you're required to notify your agency and initiate checks for that person before they begin residing in the home.

Timing Your Applications

Because the VSC through the RCMP can take four to six weeks, and the CAR and AAR checks take two to four weeks, submit all three simultaneously as early as possible. These checks run in parallel — you don't need to wait for one before submitting the next.

Many applicants lose weeks by waiting until after orientation to start the check process. If you've attended an information session and decided to proceed, start the paperwork immediately.

The background check process is not designed to screen out anyone with a complicated past — it's designed to identify specific categories of disqualifying history while giving reviewers enough information to make a fair assessment. If you have questions about how a specific prior circumstance might be evaluated, the Manitoba Foster Care Guide covers the prior contact review in detail, including what agency workers are specifically looking for and how to present your history clearly and without anxiety.

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