Brightstar Care: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

BrightStar Care was founded in 2002 by Shelly Sun and her husband J.D. Sun, inspired by Shelly's personal experience in 2001 searching for quality, trustworthy in-home care for her grandmother, referred to affectionately as "Grandma Pat." After Grandma Pat passed away, Shelly reflected on what she had originally been looking for, a caring company offering full-service, 24/7 non-medical and medical home care, which led directly to founding BrightStar Care near Chicago, in Gurnee, Illinois. Shelly Sun served as CEO, building out the company's operations from its first single agency location.

After validating the business model at additional company-owned locations, BrightStar Care began franchising in 2005 and opened its first franchise location in 2006. The company grew rapidly under Sun's leadership, reaching nearly 300 franchise locations and over $300 million in revenue by 2016, and was featured in a 2011 episode of the television series "Undercover Boss" alongside its CEO. In 2010, BrightStar Care began pursuing Joint Commission accreditation as a requirement for all of its agencies, and in 2013 the company earned the Enterprise Champion for Quality award the same year it was introduced. BrightStar also expanded into adjacent services, launching BrightStar Senior Living in 2014 with its first community opening in Madison, Wisconsin, and opening its first BrightStar Care Homes location in Boise, Idaho, in 2018.

Today, BrightStar Care operates more than 400 independently owned and operated franchise locations nationwide, each named "BrightStar Care of" followed by its city or regional service area, and is headquartered in Bannockburn (formerly Gurnee), Illinois. The company employs tens of thousands of nurses and caregivers across its franchise network, with each location led by an RN Director of Nursing overseeing clinical care. BrightStar Care's workforce includes registered nurses, home health aides and caregivers, and franchise office staff managing scheduling and client relationships.

Company culture and employee programs: BrightStar Care describes its approach as providing "A Higher Standard" of care, emphasizing compassion and the same quality of care franchise owners and staff would want for their own families. The company has developed specialized programs, including BrightStar Connections for clients with Alzheimer's or dementia. Benefits, training, and advancement opportunities can vary by specific franchise location, so candidates should confirm specifics with a local office during the hiring process.

Yes. Employers in the in-home healthcare and medical staffing industry, including BrightStar Care franchise locations, are legally required to conduct thorough background checks on caregiver and nursing candidates, given the vulnerable population served and the unsupervised, in-home nature of much of the work. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires employers to obtain written consent, provide disclosures, and follow adverse action procedures.

BrightStar Care is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is standard and often legally required for in-home caregivers and nurses working directly and unsupervised with elderly, ill, or vulnerable clients.

The hiring process for caregiver and nursing roles at BrightStar Care typically includes an application, an interview with local franchise office staff, verification of any required nursing licenses or certifications, and a background check prior to a final offer.

Background check timelines can vary based on the type of screening requested and how quickly records can be verified. Learn more about typical background check turnaround times to understand what factors can affect the process.

A typical pre-employment background check for an in-home care role may include:

Under the FCRA, criminal history reporting is generally limited to seven years for most background checks, though many states impose more extensive lookback periods or disqualifying offense lists for caregivers and healthcare staff working with elderly or vulnerable populations.

Hiring decisions involving candidates with criminal records are generally made on a case-by-case basis by each franchise location, taking into account the nature of the offense, how much time has passed, and its relevance to a role involving unsupervised, in-home care of vulnerable clients. Many states maintain specific disqualifying offense lists for healthcare and caregiving staff that go beyond standard "ban-the-box" laws protections.

Candidates can generally expect to provide personal information such as full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number, along with signed consent authorizing the background check, in compliance with FCRA and applicable state healthcare licensing requirements.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that regulates how employers can use background check information in hiring decisions. It requires employers to notify candidates before running a check, obtain written consent, and follow specific adverse action procedures if a decision is made based on background check results.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what BrightStar Care may see during the hiring process, helping you address any concerns before you apply. A personal background check can include:

Learn more about Checkr Personal Background Checks and explore your Checkr Profile to see what information may appear in your own background check.

If you're a candidate with a background check in progress through Checkr as part of your application to BrightStar Care or another employer, you can check your status through the Candidate Portal. For additional support, visit the Checkr Help Center.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information is for general informational purposes only. Checkr does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of this information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. This article may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader. Checkr does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites and disclaims any affiliation with the companies mentioned in this article unless otherwise stated.