Clearance Policy For Volunteers
Spring is here and we have several field trips and events scheduled for the rest of the school year. One question is often asked after the changes in background checks laws is whether parent chaperones need background cheeks to take part in the trip/event. Here is the policy that our Board adopted in its February 2016 meeting:
Board of Trustees Policy
Clearance Policy For Volunteers
To ensure the safety of our students, Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania Charter School (“Charter School”) has instituted a policy regarding volunteers which follows Act 15 of 2015 (the Act). Volunteers who have “direct volunteer contact,” with children at a school, meaning, the care, supervision, guidance, or control of children and routine interaction with children, must have background checks. “Routine interaction” is defined in the Act as “regular and repeated contact that is integral to a person’s employment or volunteer responsibilities.”
Volunteers must obtain the following certifications
A fingerprint based federal criminal history (FBI) submitted through the Pennsylvania State Police or its authorized agent is not required as long as: (1) the position the volunteer is applying for is an unpaid position; and (2) the volunteer has been a resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the entirety of the previous ten (10) years. Volunteers who are not required to obtain the FBI certification for these reasons must swear or affirm, in writing, that they are not disqualified from service based upon a conviction of an offense under Section 6344.
If a volunteer has not been a resident of Pennsylvania for the previous ten (10) years, but obtained their FBI certification at any time since establishing residency, they must provide a copy of the certification to the person responsible for the selection of volunteers. They are not required to obtain any additional FBI certifications.
If a volunteer has not been a resident of Pennsylvania for the previous ten (10) years, and has not obtained their FBI certification, they must obtain that certification.
Volunteers required to obtain clearances include persons who are responsible for the child’s welfare or who wish to visit the school regularly to serve as volunteers and to provide for the care, supervision, guidance or control of children. All Clearance Required Volunteers should obtain their clearances and the Charter School will reimburse the cost of clearances if such clearances are obtained solely to be used at the Charter School and after the volunteer completes ten (10) volunteering days. All Clearance Required Volunteers must obtain the required certification every sixty (60) months from the date of the individual’s most recent certification. Copies of all clearances should be provided to the Charter School.
Examples of volunteer situations requiring clearances include, but are not limited to:
Volunteers not required to obtain clearances include visitors who are not responsible for a child’s welfare or are visiting the school irregularly and not providing for the care, supervision, guidance, or control of children. Although occasional visitors are not required to complete the clearances, they should continue to comply with building security policies (such as signing in before entering the building).
Examples of situations in which volunteers typically would not need clearances include, but are not limited to:
Board of Trustees Policy
Clearance Policy For Volunteers
To ensure the safety of our students, Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania Charter School (“Charter School”) has instituted a policy regarding volunteers which follows Act 15 of 2015 (the Act). Volunteers who have “direct volunteer contact,” with children at a school, meaning, the care, supervision, guidance, or control of children and routine interaction with children, must have background checks. “Routine interaction” is defined in the Act as “regular and repeated contact that is integral to a person’s employment or volunteer responsibilities.”
Volunteers must obtain the following certifications
- Report of criminal history from the Pennsylvania State Police; and
- Child Abuse History certification from the Department of Human Services (Child Abuse)
A fingerprint based federal criminal history (FBI) submitted through the Pennsylvania State Police or its authorized agent is not required as long as: (1) the position the volunteer is applying for is an unpaid position; and (2) the volunteer has been a resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the entirety of the previous ten (10) years. Volunteers who are not required to obtain the FBI certification for these reasons must swear or affirm, in writing, that they are not disqualified from service based upon a conviction of an offense under Section 6344.
If a volunteer has not been a resident of Pennsylvania for the previous ten (10) years, but obtained their FBI certification at any time since establishing residency, they must provide a copy of the certification to the person responsible for the selection of volunteers. They are not required to obtain any additional FBI certifications.
If a volunteer has not been a resident of Pennsylvania for the previous ten (10) years, and has not obtained their FBI certification, they must obtain that certification.
Volunteers required to obtain clearances include persons who are responsible for the child’s welfare or who wish to visit the school regularly to serve as volunteers and to provide for the care, supervision, guidance or control of children. All Clearance Required Volunteers should obtain their clearances and the Charter School will reimburse the cost of clearances if such clearances are obtained solely to be used at the Charter School and after the volunteer completes ten (10) volunteering days. All Clearance Required Volunteers must obtain the required certification every sixty (60) months from the date of the individual’s most recent certification. Copies of all clearances should be provided to the Charter School.
Examples of volunteer situations requiring clearances include, but are not limited to:
- Homeroom parents
- Working with small group of students or individual students
- Driving a team/group to an activity
- Assisting in a classroom
- Recess and library volunteers
- Volunteer coaches and club advisors
Volunteers not required to obtain clearances include visitors who are not responsible for a child’s welfare or are visiting the school irregularly and not providing for the care, supervision, guidance, or control of children. Although occasional visitors are not required to complete the clearances, they should continue to comply with building security policies (such as signing in before entering the building).
Examples of situations in which volunteers typically would not need clearances include, but are not limited to:
- Attending a classroom presentation or party
- Attending a school-sponsored event
- Back-to-School nights
- Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Parent guest readers
- Halloween parades
- Collecting tickets to sporting events
- Working concession stands
- Chaperones for field trips and dances (so long as not routine or responsible for the child’s welfare)
- Participating in “Career Day”