Employers rely on vulnerable sector checks to hire volunteers in child care, health care, seniors’ care and other safety‑sensitive roles
HR professionals in Ontario who rely on vulnerable sector police checks to hire and onboard staff and volunteers in child care, health care, seniors’ care and other safety‑sensitive roles could soon see faster turnaround times under proposed legislative changes.
The provincial government plans to amend the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 as part of an upcoming legislative package aimed at cutting delays for people seeking employment or volunteer positions with vulnerable populations, including children, seniors and people with disabilities.
The changes are intended to “support efficient screening of potential employees and volunteers while maintaining robust standards that will protect those in the vulnerable sector,” the Ontario government said in a news release.
Earlier this year, 20 teachers in Surrey, B.C. were told to stay home after their licences were automatically suspended over missed criminal record check updates.
Record check reforms
“Delays in getting a vulnerable sector check should never stand in the way of someone getting a job or giving back to their community,” solicitor general Michael Kerzner said in the release. “That’s why we are taking action to reduce wait times and improve how checks are being processed while ensuring the strongest safeguards remain in place.”
Vulnerable sector checks require more detailed screening than other police record checks, which can result in longer processing times. Under the Ontario government’s proposal, designated police services would be permitted to help during high‑demand periods by processing vulnerable sector checks for applicants who live outside their own jurisdiction.
The province said this added flexibility is expected to reduce delays for applicants and improve overall efficiency across the system, a potential benefit for HR teams that must balance regulatory compliance with pressures to fill frontline roles quickly.
Volume pressures and policing perspective
A police record check is described by the province as a tool that helps organisations assess an individual’s suitability for employment, volunteer work or licensing. In many workplaces, particularly in the public and non‑profit sectors, these checks are mandatory before an individual can assume their duties.
Police services in Ontario process more than one million police record checks annually, with more than 70 per cent classified as vulnerable sector checks, according to the Ontario government. That volume has contributed to processing pressures that can affect hiring timelines.
Rich Johnston, Chief of the Barrie Police Service, said demand has been rising steadily and pointed to local numbers as an example.
“In 2025, the Barrie Police Service provided just under 14,000 criminal record checks, of which 11,354 were vulnerable sector checks (VSC). These numbers have been increasing year after year,” he said in the provincial release.
According to the Ontario government, employers or organizations cannot request a police record check for an individual without their knowledge and consent. Individuals must consent to a police record check by applying for the check required.
Police record check processing times in Ontario, 2021–2026
|
Year |
Typical / reported processing time |
Context & notable events |
Source(s) |
|
2021 |
OPP‑policed areas: 4–6 weeks; most municipal services: 2–4 weeks |
Pandemic‑era backlog; many services moved to online/appointment‑only intake. |
CBC News reported in 2020 that OPP website wait times were four to six weeks, with similar conditions persisting into 2021; Government of Ontario (ontario.ca/page/police-record-checks). |
|
2022 |
Standard checks: 10 business days; vulnerable sector checks (VSC): 2–8 weeks |
As of April 1, 2022, fees were eliminated for volunteer‑purpose criminal record and judicial matters checks in Ontario, increasing volume, particularly in larger municipal services such as Toronto Police Service. |
Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General (news.ontario.ca release 1001888); HRPA Survey Report on Police Record Checks (2023). |
|
2023 |
Standard checks: 10 business days; VSCs: 1–12+ weeks depending on service |
Toronto Police Service launched its online portal on September 5, 2023, allowing three types of checks to be completed online, while advocacy groups and regulators continued to flag backlog concerns and inconsistent turnaround times across jurisdictions. |
Toronto Police Service; John Howard Society of Ontario (2023 PRCRA submission); College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario; HRPA (2023). |
|
2024 |
Most services: 1–4 weeks; OPP online: typically within 30‑day service standard |
In July 2024, the Private Security and Investigative Services Branch began accepting criminal record and judicial matters checks (CRJMCs) from authorised third‑party providers, reducing pressure on police‑issued checks and helping some services move closer to stated service standards. |
Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General; OPP service standard documentation. |
|
2025 |
OPP: 12–14 weeks at peak (summer/fall); complex VSCs: 45–55 days; Toronto: ~2 weeks |
Major backlog year. The OPP said a backlog in 2025 pushed wait times as high as 12 to 14 weeks, prompting a review of its Online Police Record Checks Unit, including an internal audit and process changes. Ontario also introduced the Broad Record Check on January 1, 2025 under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, adding a new category of screening. |
OPP (news release Dec 2025); CBC News (Sept 27, 2025); 96.1 Renfrew Today (OPP spokesperson Erin Cranton); Government of Ontario. |
|
2026 (YTD) |
OPP: 10 days (April); Toronto: ~2‑week backlog (Feb); Ottawa: 7–10 business days; Halton: 2–4 weeks |
The OPP reports current turnaround times are averaging approximately 10 days, down from the 12 to 14 week backlog experienced during summer and fall 2025, following a full review of the Online Police Record Checks Unit, internal audit, policy and procedure updates, and added resources. On May 7, 2026, the province proposed amendments to the Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015 to further reduce wait times, noting Ontario police process more than one million police record checks annually, with more than 70 per cent being vulnerable sector checks. |
OPP; Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General (May 7, 2026 announcement); Bayshore Broadcasting; Barrie Today; Ottawa Police Service; Halton Regional Police. |
Implementation and safety focus
Implementation would require coordination with federal partners, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Public Safety Canada, to give designated police services access to federal databases. This is intended to ensure that vulnerable sector checks continue to rely on national‑level information while processing is streamlined.
“Our Records and Information Management Services Unit strives to complete all record checks, including vulnerable sector checks as soon as possible, however the proposed changes would make it even easier for applicants to apply for and receive their VSC in a convenient and timely manner,” Johnston said.
The Ontario government said the move is part of broader efforts to keep communities safe, strengthen enforcement, crack down on crime, and protect victims and vulnerable people across the province. The province has positioned the changes as a modernisation of processes rather than a relaxation of safeguards.
Previously, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal (BCHRT) found that Silver Bullet Solutions, operating as MotiveWave Software, discriminated against a former employee by terminating his employment based on criminal convictions unrelated to his job.
