Working with Vulnerable People Registration in the ACT: A Guide for Foster Carers

Before you can be authorized as a foster carer in the ACT, the primary applicant or applicants need to complete a Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration. Agencies also screen adult household members through national criminal history checks and other suitability checks. It is the ACT's equivalent of a Working with Children Check — but with some important distinctions that catch people off guard.

This post explains exactly how the WWVP scheme works, what Access Canberra actually looks at, how long it takes, and what happens if someone in your household has a criminal history.

What the WWVP Registration Actually Is

The WWVP registration is the ACT Government's pre-employment screening tool for anyone working with, or in contact with, children and vulnerable adults. It is governed by the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 (ACT).

For foster carers, registration is mandatory for the relevant applicant or applicants. It is not a judgment call by the agency — it is a statutory requirement. You cannot proceed with the assessment process without a valid WWVP registration for each applicant who is required to hold one, together with the household screening required for other adults who will have regular access to children placed in your home.

Unlike a standard police check, which simply returns a list of offences, the WWVP registration is a risk assessment process. Access Canberra does not just check whether you have a criminal record — it evaluates the nature of any offences, how long ago they occurred, and whether they indicate a risk to vulnerable people. That distinction matters, and it is why the process is more involved than a simple clearance.

Who Needs to Register

For foster care purposes, the requirement extends to:

• All primary applicants
• All other adults living in the household (aged 18 and over), who are subject to the agency's household screening
• Any adult who regularly stays overnight in the home, who may also be included in that household screening

The foster care agency (Barnardos, OzChild, or Key Assets) verifies the required WWVP registrations for applicants and completes the required household screening before authorization proceeds.

How to Apply Through Access Canberra

The application is processed through Access Canberra, either online or in person at a service centre.

Step 1: Create a MyServiceACT account (if you don't already have one). The application is submitted through the ACT Government's online portal.

Step 2: Submit your application and pay the fee. The current fee is $163 for a paid-work registration. Volunteer-only registration is free.

Step 3: Verify your identity. This is the step most people underestimate. You must verify four identity documents from the approved list, including a photo identity document, usually at an Access Canberra service centre. Alternative verification is available if you cannot attend.

Step 4: Wait for the risk assessment. Once your application is submitted and identity verified, Access Canberra conducts the background check. Current processing averages 7 weeks; applications that require a risk assessment can take longer.

Step 5: Receive your WWVP card. If your registration is approved, you receive a registration card with a unique number. Your foster care agency will record this number and verify it through Access Canberra's online check system before authorization.

Class A and Class B Offences: The Part That Creates Anxiety

The WWVP scheme divides disqualifying offences into two categories, and understanding them upfront reduces a lot of unnecessary worry — while also making clear where the hard limits sit.

Class A offences generally exclude a person from child-related regulated activities. Current ACT guidance says kinship and foster carers who are otherwise ineligible to register may be assessed for suitability in exceptional circumstances; this is not automatic approval.

Class B offences do not result in automatic exclusion. Instead, Access Canberra conducts an individual risk assessment. The registrar considers factors including the nature of the offence, how long ago it occurred, the age of the person at the time, evidence of rehabilitation, and the specific activities the applicant will undertake. In "exceptional circumstances" a person with a Class B offence can be granted registration.

This distinction matters practically because many prospective carers — particularly those who are now in their 30s, 40s, or 50s — carry a spent conviction from their youth. A minor drug offence from twenty years ago is not automatically disqualifying. But it will trigger the risk assessment process, which takes longer and requires more documentation. If you know there is something in your history, it is worth disclosing it proactively to your foster care agency before you submit your WWVP application. They have seen this situation before and can advise on how to approach it.

Spent Convictions

Under the ACT's Spent Convictions Act 2000, some older convictions are considered "spent" and do not need to be disclosed in most employment contexts. However, the WWVP scheme is explicitly exempt from spent convictions provisions. Access Canberra can and does examine spent convictions as part of the risk assessment for WWVP registration.

This surprises applicants who assumed their old record was effectively wiped. It is not a deal-breaker — the risk assessment framework exists precisely to evaluate context — but it does mean you cannot rely on a conviction being spent to shield it from the process.

Registration Duration and Renewal

A WWVP registration is valid for five years from the date of issue. Once approved, you must renew it before it expires to maintain your authorized carer status. Your foster care agency will typically remind you when renewal is due, but the responsibility sits with the individual registrant.

If your circumstances change — for example, if you receive a new criminal conviction during the registration period — you are required by law to notify Access Canberra. Failure to do so is an offence under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011.

The Household Scrutiny Concern

A consistent theme in the research around ACT foster care applicants is anxiety not about their own record, but about other adults in the household. This comes up most often in households where:

• A partner has a historic conviction they haven't disclosed
• An adult child living at home has a record
• A regularly present extended family member will be covered by the requirement

The agency's household screening considers all adults with regular unsupervised access to children in the home, not just the named applicants. Your foster care agency will ask about all adults in the household as part of the application process, and it will require the relevant screening details and WWVP registration numbers for applicants covered.

Having a household member with a criminal history does not automatically disqualify the primary applicant from fostering. The agencies have experience navigating these situations. But it needs to be addressed honestly and early, rather than discovered later in the process when it causes delays.

WWVP in Context: One Step in a Larger Process

The WWVP registration is a prerequisite — it needs to be initiated early in the process because the current 7-week average runs concurrently with other assessment stages. Most agencies will ask you to begin your WWVP application at the same time as or shortly after you submit your initial application.

It is one of several mandatory checks that run in parallel during Stage 2 of the authorization process, alongside the National Police Check, the medical assessment, and reference checks.

For a complete walkthrough of the ACT authorization process — including what to bring to your Access Canberra appointment, how agencies handle household members with prior convictions, and what the home safety assessment covers — the Australian Capital Territory Foster Care Guide is the most detailed resource available for the ACT-specific process.

See more Australian Capital Territory guides →