Blue cards and exemption cards for foster or kinship carers – No Card No Start

Blue Card Services administers the blue card system—Queensland's Working with Children Check.

The blue card system is designed to contribute to the creation of safe and supportive environments for children when receiving services or participating in activities regulated by the blue card system.

Blue card screening assesses a person's eligibility to hold a blue card based on their known past police and disciplinary information. This involves a detailed national check of a person's criminal history (including all spent convictions, pending and non-conviction charges) and other disciplinary information.

The police information of all blue card holders and applicants continues to be monitored to ensure they are meeting their blue card obligations and providing safe environments for children.

Who needs a blue card?

All approved foster and kinship carers and adult members in their household will required a blue or exemption card. An exemption card only applies to Queensland Registered Teachers or Police Officers who intend to provide care to children, outside their professional duties.

If you are a provisionally approved carer you will need to apply for a blue or exemption card at the time of applying to be a foster or kinship carer.

All adult household members of a provisionally approved applicant who do not hold a blue or exemption card are required to hold a valid blue or exemption card prior to the provisional approval expiring.

If you are a child's guardian under a child protection order, and you no longer provide or intend to provide care to other children who are in the custody or guardianship of Child Safety, then you (and adult household members) are no longer required to hold a blue or exemption card.

If you are a kinship carer and the parent of the child in your care is sharing your home with you, the child's parent does not require a blue card.

Young people who have previously been a child in care and who are turning 18 and will continue to reside in the household can apply for a blue card when they are aged 17 years and 9 months.

More information is available on our frequently asked questions for foster and kinship carers _ or frequently asked questions for child safety staff _ information sheets.

Applying for a blue card

A person can apply for a blue or exemption card using the online applicant portal or using a paper form.

Regardless of which method you choose to apply, you will need a Customer Reference Number (CRN) from the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) before you apply for your blue or exemption card to prove your identity. You can find your CRN on any TMR product.

Find more information about applying, including processing timeframes and what to do if you can't attend a TMR customer service centre.

Verifying with Child Safety

If you choose to apply online using the online applicant portal—after registering for an online account and verifying your identity through TMR—you will be provided with an online account number. You must provide this number to Child Safety for your blue or exemption card to be linked to the Child Safety organisation.

The linking of your blue or exemption card to Child Safety ensures there is no fee for a blue card application.

Blue Card Services will let you know via text message or email when you have been successfully linked to Child Safety so you can complete and submit your online application for the blue or exemption card.

Renewing a blue card

As long as you remain an approved carer, you will need to renew your blue or exemption card every 3 years.

Blue Card Services will notify card holders when their card is due to expire. It is important card holders keep their contact details current to receive this renewal reminder. Child Safety and your foster and kinship agency will also have processes in place to ensure you are reminded of your card expiry date.

All carers and adult household members are responsible for ensuring their blue or exemption cards do not expire.

Providing you renew your blue or exemption card before your current card expires, you can continue to provide care. If you do not renew your blue or exemption card before it expires, you will be subject to No Card, No Start and cannot continue providing care. Any children or young people placed in your care will require a new care arrangement until you receive your new blue card or exemption card approval.

Blue Card Services will notify you and Child Safety of the outcome of the renewal application once it has been completed.

Read more information about renewing your blue card.

Contact

For more information about the blue card system contact Blue Card Services.