The following four criminal background checks are required for all employees. The same four background checks are required for all volunteers of a child care service, school or program, activity or service, responsible for a child’s welfare or volunteers having direct contact with children. (The only exception is for those employees who are 14 to 17 years of age; they do not have to have obtain the Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Background Check.)
- Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check (Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History [PATCH])
- Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Certificate
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Background Fingerprint Check (18+ years old)
- National Sex Offender Registry
These four criminal background checks are required upon hire and are required to be repeated every five (5) years, per the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Act 153 of 2014 and amended under Act 2015-15.
Look under "Resources" for the following documents:
English Lay Employee/Volunteer Background Check Authorization Form (PDF)
Safe Environment Checklist School Employee (PDF)
Safe Environment Checklist Parish Employee (PDF)
Safe Environment Checklist All Volunteers (PDF)
Safe Environment Checklist for Minor Volunteers (PDF)
Safe Environment Checklist for Minor Employees (PDF)
CYO Volunteer Safe Environment Checklist (PDF)
Preschool and Aftercare safe Environment Checklist (PDF)
School Vendors and Contractors Safe Environment Requirements (PDF)
Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Certification (PDF)
National Sex Offender Registry -Employee (PDF)
National Sex Offender Registry -Employee, Spanish (PDF)
National Sex Offender Registry -Volunteer (PDF)
National Sex Offender Registry -Volunteer, Spanish (PDF)
