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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) has launched ‘WV VeriCheck,’ a new digital system designed to make Child Protective Services (CPS) and Adult Protective Services (APS) background checks faster, more accurate and more efficient.
“WV VeriCheck allows the Department to modernize a process that has traditionally relied on paper and manual processing,” said West Virginia Department of Human Services Cabinet Secretary Carl Ayers. “The transition is expected to save approximately $25,196 each year in postage and stationery costs alone, while expediting background checks and creating efficiencies for the people and organizations who rely on them. Most importantly, this modernization strengthens an important safeguard for West Virginia’s children and vulnerable adults.”
CPS and APS background checks are required for prospective foster, kinship and adoptive parents, household members and certain employees and volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults. These checks help identify substantiated histories of maltreatment and serve as an important safeguard for vulnerable populations. Previously, the process relied heavily on paper applications, U.S. Postal Service mail and manual processing that created delays.
In 2025, DoHS processed 27,093 background check applications. Of those, 57% (15,347) were submitted through the U.S. Postal Service and 40% (10,727) were submitted by email. A total of 1,033 applications, or 4%, were rejected because of errors or missing information.
The new system allows background check information to be submitted electronically and includes features designed to identify missing or incomplete information before an application is submitted. This reduces the need to return applications for corrections and decreases the manual processing required by DoHS staff.
With more than 27,000 background checks processed annually, improving the process can have a significant impact on DoHS staff and the providers, employers and other organizations that depend on timely background checks to meet hiring, licensing and placement requirements.
The system also provides a foundation for improved application tracking, reporting and information management while maintaining appropriate privacy and security protections for sensitive CPS and APS information.
Information about WV VeriCheck, including a user help guide, is available at bss.wv.gov/background-checks.
