What Will DSS Check Before I Can Care for a Relative’s Child?

If DSS says it needs to “check” you or your home, it can feel personal.

It is not a judgment on whether you love the child. The agency has to establish that a proposed caregiver and home are safe and appropriate. The exact checks depend on the arrangement. A temporary Parental Child Safety Placement and an approved kinship foster home do not follow the same process.

Expect background and household checks

For foster home approval, background checks are a core part of the process. Adult household members are included in required screening. The agency will also need to understand who lives in the home, the physical environment, your family relationships and your ability to meet the child’s needs. Answer accurately. Trying to hide something that later appears in a check creates a bigger problem than discussing it at the start.

A past issue does not always give a simple yes or no

Virginia law and regulation contain detailed rules around criminal history and barrier crimes. In 2026, Virginia also has a specific statutory process allowing LDSS to seek a waiver for certain barrier crimes in qualifying kinship cases, while federal barrier crimes, violent felony offenses, and offenses requiring sex offender registration remain excluded from that waiver route. Do not rely on a friend’s experience or an old internet post. Ask the agency to assess your actual circumstances under current law.

Your home does not have to look like a showroom

The agency is looking for safety and the ability to care for the child. Virginia regulations allow kinship-specific waivers for certain non-safety standards. Temporary waivers can cover specified approval requirements for up to six months, and certain home standards can receive permanent waivers when safety and proper care are protected. That flexibility exists because kinship families often step forward in a crisis rather than preparing a foster home months in advance.

Use the process to identify support

An assessment should also uncover what will help the placement work. Maybe you need a gate, a bed, childcare, training, or help understanding a child’s behavior. Raising those needs is not failure. ESP’s team works with resource families through preparation and ongoing support. The aim is a home that is safe, informed, and supported, not a family pretending it has no questions.

Where Extra Special Parents FIT

If you are worried that something in your background or home will automatically stop you from caring for a child you know, do not self-reject. Tell the worker, ask what current Virginia rules require, and let the formal process answer the question.