New York, where more than 14,000 children and young adults are in foster care, is one of more than 20 states that disqualify foster parents and applicants if anyone living in their home is listed on a sex offender registry, according to a federal survey of state statutes.
Most states, including New York, require foster-care agencies to check criminal records or sex offender registries for all adults in a household. But caseworkers in New York cannot check for foster home addresses in the sex offender registry, as they can in California, state officials said.