Child Abuse Register Introduces Digital Search Confirmations
Nova Scotians who need a Child Abuse Register check for work or volunteering can now receive their confirmation online in as little as three business days.
The new digital search confirmation replaces the traditional confirmation letters, which could take up to three weeks by mail.
“Child Abuse Register checks help keep children safe when they are in care, at school or in the community,” said Scott Armstrong, Minister of Opportunities and Social Development. “Moving the process fully online means Nova Scotians will get their results more quickly and can share them more easily with employers, schools or community-based organizations.”
The Child Abuse Register keeps a record of the names of people that the Nova Scotia provincial court or family court has found to have caused harm to a child. Organizations and employers can request proof that people are not in the register if they are going to be in contact with children 18 and under for work or volunteer purposes.
Confirmation is also a key part of the Province’s screening process for foster and adoptive parents, as well as for certain jobs and volunteer roles.
Other changes to the register include:
- applicants will receive email notification that the process is complete, at which point they can access their results online
- applicants can forward the confirmation email to an employer or volunteer organization
- organizations will verify the search result using the applicant’s submission number and date of birth
- access to digital results expire after 90 days.
The move to digital search confirmations is the latest step in modernizing the Child Abuse Register process and making government services more accessible to Nova Scotians.
Quick Facts:
- the government processed more than 54,000 Child Abuse Register search applications in 2024
- the application process moved online in 2022
Additional Resources:
Applying for a Child Abuse Register check: https://beta.novascotia.ca/apply-child-abuse-register-search.