Employers who hire unvetted staff could face heavy fines or five years in jail under new tougher controls introduced by the government.
A single list of people banned from working with children in England and Wales will be brought in under a Bill called Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups.
Education secretary Ruth Kelly said it is a fundamental reform of the system.
At the moment, separate checks have to be made on List 99, a health service list currently operating under the Protection of Children Act, and the sex offenders register.
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The Bill also proposes that any employers who knowingly hire people who have been barred from working with children could face a five-year jail term or fines of up to £5,000.
The Bill will allow employers to make secure, online checks on the records of up to eight million people who work with children.
