Most agencies and many direct hires will say a background check was done. The claim is easy to make and hard to check from the outside. The paper that describes the check tells you what was actually looked at, by whom, how recently, and what happens if something comes back. Read that paper before you sign, not after the first shift.

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What the paper should name

  1. The company that ran the check. Write the name here: ____________________
  2. The records searched, in plain words. Write them here: ____________________
  3. Whether the search was run by name only, or whether it also used fingerprints. Write the answer here: ____________________
  4. Whether the caregiver signed a consent form for the check, and whether you may see that form.
  5. Whether you receive a copy of the report, or only a line that says the caregiver was cleared.

Questions to ask

  • Which areas are not searched, and does the scope page list them?
  • How recent is the check when the caregiver starts, and does it get repeated? If so, how often, and on what trigger?
  • If a result is flagged, who decides what it means, and do you hear the result or only the decision?
  • Who pays for the check, and is the cost shown on the quote or hidden in a fee?
  • May the caregiver start before the check is finished? If yes, what limits apply until it is?

What to listen for

A clean answer names the vendor, lists the records, and gives a timeline without you pushing. A weak answer uses phrases like 'we clear everyone' or 'it is all handled' without naming the company or the scope. Write down the exact words the agency uses. If the words change when you ask for the scope in writing, note that too.

Signs to walk away

  • The agency will not name the screening company.
  • The scope is not written anywhere, only described in conversation.
  • The check is described as 'included' but no page shows what it covers.
  • You are told the result is 'fine' and you are not allowed to see the basis for that answer.

Compare two offers on the same four lines

When you have two offers, fill in the same four lines for each, side by side:

  • Vendor named: yes or no
  • Records and scope written: yes or no
  • Copy of the report or result shared with you: yes or no
  • Repeat check and its trigger written: yes or no

A yes on all four is a document you can hold the agency to. A no on any line is a question to take back before you decide.

What this guide does not cover

What a check may legally include, and what a family may or may not ask a candidate, are questions for the agency's own paper or for an attorney, not for this guide. Use this page to ask the questions and to keep the answers in one place. For where this site gets its public references, see the Sources page.