PA Clearances
All Board members, employees and volunteers at the HCC must obtain and submit a PA Criminal Background Check and a Child Abuse History in order to participate in our programs. FBI Clearances are required for anyone who has not lived in the Commonwealth of PA for at least ten years. This screening is mandatory, with NO EXCEPTIONS! The safety and well being of the children in this community is our top priority. (See details of the policy and procedure below).
All HCC board members, staff, and volunteers (age 14 and over) who are responsible for "the care, supervision, guidance or control" of, or have "routine interaction" with anyone under the age of 18 must obtain the following clearances prior to working with children, and renew them every 60 months (5 years):
- Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Background Check
- Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance Form
- FBI Fingerprint Criminal Background Check (required ONLY if you have not lived in PA for any of the past 10 years.)
Procedure
Printable instructions for completing the Background Checks can be found here.
To apply for the PA State Police Criminal Background Check:
To apply for the PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form:
To apply for the FBI Fingerprint Background Check:
Screening Background Reports
In the event information surfaces via the background check, a screening committee consisting of the Board President or Vice-president, the Executive Director and the Program Committee Chairman will review the background check information to determine eligibility. Only members of the screening committee will review the data obtained. All information is confidential and will not be made public under any circumstances.
The decision of the screening committee may be appealed, for the purpose of clarifying facts or explaining extenuating circumstances.
All HCC board members, employees and volunteers are required to notify the committee immediately following an arrest or conviction on any of the listed offenses. Any person, who while working or volunteering for the HCC, is arrested for committing an offense as listed, will immediately forfeit his/her position until disposition by the courts. A conviction of an offense will result in termination of association with the HCC and it's programs.
The following is a list of offenses prohibiting an applicant from participation in the HCC -- offenses including but not limited to the following:
Arson
Assault
Aggravated Kidnapping
Aggravated Robbery
Crimes Against Children
Criminally Negligent Homicide
Deadly Conduct
Manufacture of or Delivery of a controlled substance or dangerous drug
Indecent Exposure
Injury to the Elderly or Disabled
Kidnapping
Manslaughter
Murder
Prohibited Sexual Conduct
Prostitution (including promotion)
Public Lewdness
Rape
Sexual Abuse
Marijuana Possession - if more than one offense or currently on probation
Driving While Intoxicated/Impaired (DWI)/ Driving under the Influence (DUI) - if more than one offense or currently on probation
Printable instructions for completing the Background Checks can be found here.
To apply for the PA State Police Criminal Background Check:
- To apply on-line at the State Police Website (https://epatch.state.pa.us) Volunteer clearances are free to those who haven't requested a back ground check in over 57 months. Fee is $22.00 otherwise.
- IMPORTANT: Your clearance is normally available immediately. You must print or save the certificate at this time or you will not be able to retrieve it once you leave the site! You will then have to pay to apply for a new one.
- A paper submission can be printed, completed, and mailed to acquire these clearances as well.
To apply for the PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form:
- Click here to apply on-line at the Child Welfare Website (https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home). Volunteer clearances are free.
- Note: This is a multiple step process that requires you to create an account, wait for a username email and a second, temporary password email, then login and change the password, and then login again. You will also need the names of everyone you have lived with since 1975.
To apply for the FBI Fingerprint Background Check:
- Go to https://uenroll.identogo.com
- Volunteers Enter code: 1KG6ZJ; Employees Enter Code: 1KG756
- You must present an approved photo ID
Screening Background Reports
In the event information surfaces via the background check, a screening committee consisting of the Board President or Vice-president, the Executive Director and the Program Committee Chairman will review the background check information to determine eligibility. Only members of the screening committee will review the data obtained. All information is confidential and will not be made public under any circumstances.
The decision of the screening committee may be appealed, for the purpose of clarifying facts or explaining extenuating circumstances.
All HCC board members, employees and volunteers are required to notify the committee immediately following an arrest or conviction on any of the listed offenses. Any person, who while working or volunteering for the HCC, is arrested for committing an offense as listed, will immediately forfeit his/her position until disposition by the courts. A conviction of an offense will result in termination of association with the HCC and it's programs.
The following is a list of offenses prohibiting an applicant from participation in the HCC -- offenses including but not limited to the following:
Arson
Assault
Aggravated Kidnapping
Aggravated Robbery
Crimes Against Children
Criminally Negligent Homicide
Deadly Conduct
Manufacture of or Delivery of a controlled substance or dangerous drug
Indecent Exposure
Injury to the Elderly or Disabled
Kidnapping
Manslaughter
Murder
Prohibited Sexual Conduct
Prostitution (including promotion)
Public Lewdness
Rape
Sexual Abuse
Marijuana Possession - if more than one offense or currently on probation
Driving While Intoxicated/Impaired (DWI)/ Driving under the Influence (DUI) - if more than one offense or currently on probation