[download this page] All BSA-registered volunteers, and all other persons over the age of 18 who are volunteering to assist a BSA unit or at a BSA function and who, while volunteering 1) provide care, supervision, training guidance or control of a youth member in lieu of parental control; and/or 2) have regular and repeated contact (referred to in the law as “routine interaction”) with youth members, are now mandated reporters of child abuse. The law requires direct reporting from the individual suspecting or witnessing child abuse immediately. After reporting the suspected abuse to the state the individual shall contact the Scout executive. The Commonwealth has created a portal for reporting purposes: www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis or 800-932-0313. For additional information regarding the BSA guidelines concerning the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law, please visit http://newbirthoffreedom.org/palaw/. Clearance Requirements: - All new volunteers who begin their volunteer service on or after August 25, 2015 must comply prior to the volunteer participating in any activity where he or she will provide care, supervision, guidance or control of children, or routine interaction with children.
- All current Scouting volunteers (those who began their volunteer service prior to August 25, 2015) must comply by July 1, 2016.
- All adults attending any New Birth of Freedom Council summer camp program must comply with the child abuse clearance requirements
- Clearances obtained for other volunteer or employment organizations may be submitted if they are current and meet the guidelines.
- The PSP Criminal History and DHS Child Abuse clearances are valid for 60 months. PA volunteer clearances may be applied for, at no cost to the volunteer every 57 months.
Clearance Checklist: PSP Criminal History (epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp), cost – free, time to complete – 10-15 minutes (received immediately). Click the “New Record Check” button (Volunteers only). After accepting the terms and conditions, submit your information for a criminal history check. You can save and print the certificate. DHS Child Abuse History Clearance (www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home), cost – free, time to complete – 20-30 minutes (7-10 days to receive). Create a new account. After you set up your password (which requires logging in several times), submit your information for a Child Abuse Clearance. FBI Criminal History & Fingerprint Clearance submitted through the Department of Human Services (www.pa.cogentid.com/index_dpwNew.htm), cost – $25.75, 5-10 minutes online and 10-15 minutes at the fingerprinting location. This clearance is only required for those volunteers who have not resided in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for ten (10) or more years. FBI Fingerprinting is accomplished by going to the UPS Store on the Carlisle Pike. Before you go, you need to fill out the online form and pay for the fingerprinting. Residency Disclosure - Volunteers who have resided in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the past 10 years can submit a Disclosure Statement Application for Volunteers in lieu of the Fingerprint FBI Clearance. Upload All Documents (Optional) (http://tinyurl.com/qc6fhfm) Volunteers can upload copies of their required documents to the New Birth of Freedom’s Background Clearances System (NBOF-CS). In order to ensure that your files are properly received and recorded, please secure all your documentation before visiting this link and upload all of your files at the same time. After successfully completing all the required clearances, please hand-in a copy of all your clearance forms to the Cub Scout Pack 279 Cubmaster, including the confirmation email you received from the NBOF-CS if you uploaded your forms. The New Birth of Freedom Council will not accept any adult leader applications without the proper clearance documentation, either attached paper copies or electronically uploaded to the NBOF-CS. |