National News
Changes in effect for child care background checks
April 02, 2015 posted by Steve Brownstein
Changes in child abuse background clearances resulting from new laws to help further protect children, went into effect on Jan. 1 and state Rep. Aaron Kaufer is making sure all agencies are aware of the new requirements.
Kaufer, R-Kingston, said the changes were based on recommendations from the Task Force on Child Protection, which was established after the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal.
“I wanted to make the people who this might affect aware of recent changes to the law,” Kaufer said. “This law helps to make sure our children are protected. As someone who has volunteered in our local community, I think it’s important that the people who work with youth in our area are made aware of these changes.”
Kaufer said the new system’s goal is to streamline the process.
The state Department of Human Services has launched a new website — www.KeepKidsSafe.pa.gov — to offer guidance to adults about the new rules. which are now in effect.
According to information provided by Kaufer’s office, someone whose profession involves direct contact with children will be required to obtain both criminal background check clearances and child abuse clearances and to have those clearances re-certified every three years. The new background check clearance requirements for all employees went into effect Dec. 31.
If an existing employee already has obtained the required clearances prior to Dec. 31. 2014, then those clearances will he valid for three years from the time they were most. recently certified. If an existing employee’s clearances are older than three years old, or if they never before obtained clearances but now will be required to get them, they have until Dec. 31, 2015, to obtain the clearances.
Volunteers who have resided in the state continuously for at least the past 10 years will be required to obtain only the State Police criminal background check and the child abuse clearance. Volunteers residing in Pennsylvania for less than 10 years would also need to obtain an FBI criminal background cheek clearance.
The requirements for volunteers will go into effect July 1. If clearances were obtained prior to July 1, they will be valid for three years from the time they were most recently certified. Kaufer said the background clearances are portable, meaning they do not have to duplicate this process for each volunteer position being held.
The clearances include the State Police criminal background check, a child abuse clearance from the state Department of Human Services (formerly the Department of Public Welfare); and an FBI criminal background check clearance, which includes fingerprinting. Some organizations incur the cost, while others ask the volunteers to pay. The fees are: child abuse clearance, $10; state police criminal background check clearance, $10; and FBI clearance, $30.
Kaufer said the new law does not subject one-time volunteers, such as parents who visit school for a career day or as a guest reader, to the requirements.
The vast majority of organizations, schools and churches that use volunteers already have their own stringent background check clearance policies in place, Kaufer said, adding the new law sets minimum requirements, but nothing in this law prohibits organizations from establishing or continuing even more stringent internal policies.
Anyone with suspicions that a child is being abused should call the statewide ChildLine hotline at 1-800-932-0313.
