In that case, you may not want to worry about criminal records background checks. However, if you are thinking about having someone around your kids for any reason, you can never skip these criminal history checks. That could lead you to allow someone near your children that you will most definitely regret at a later date. There are some ways that you can do criminal records background checks for free, and other sources that will ask you to pay for information. When you want to know, you have to use both to be sure that you are getting the entire story on someone. There is only so much you can get for free, though at times, the free information is all that you need to see that something is wrong.