Sacred Heart Safe Environment Program

What background checks are required?

The required checks are a PA State Police Criminal Background Check (FBI check for employees/volunteers who have resided in PA for less than 6 months) and a PA Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse Clearance Check. Also all employees & volunteers must attend a class sponsored by the Safe Environment Program. The forms for Pa State Police Criminal Background Check & Pa Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse Clearance Check are available at the rectory office. FBI Fingerprint card and where to submit this background check please call 215-587-2466. Every employee/volunteer with regular contact with children must have all clearance done by the start of the school year. Strictly speaking, “regular contact” with children and youth is considered to be at least once a week. Regular contact will require all background checks. Any one who works in the school or volunteers in the school or the Religious Education Program, Youth Group, CYO, Altar Servers, Choir, Liturgy of the Word with Children, Vacation Bible School, any parent who volunteers in the school class room or goes on a school field trip must have the PA State Police Criminal Background Check & Child Abuse Clearance Complete. You must also take the Safe Environment Program within 6 months of applying for your clearances, the program if offered at no cost to you.

Process

1 - receive forms from the rectory office

2 - complete forms & return them to the rectory

3 - rectory will process Pa Criminal Check on line & send for PA Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse Clearance. The PA Department of Public Welfare Clearance will be sent directly to the employee/volunteer, please bring the clearance paper work to the rectory so we can get a copy and have on record that all of your clearance paper work is complete.

The cost of this process is $20.00 per volunteer/employee, the parish pays for all background checks. Please call the rectory office is you have any questions.

All new school families are encourage to complete the forms in July it takes about 6 weeks before clearance are back.

Please call the school 610-932-3633 or the rectory 610-932-5040 if you have any questions. Thank you!

Last Updated: February 6, 2007