AOP Volunteer FAQs

Policies for the Protection of Children and Young People

Volunteer Background Checks and Clearances- Frequently Asked Questions

Who needs background checks and clearances?
Volunteers (unpaid) who may have any possible contact with or responsibility for children.

How is any possible contact with children defined?
Any time an adult comes into contact with children in their role as a volunteer for the Archdiocese.

What clearances are required to volunteer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia?

Clearances for Volunteers Living in PA for Less than 10 years:

• Federal Bureau of Investigation Fingerprint Clearance
• Pennsylvania State Police Clearance
• Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance

Clearances for Volunteers Living in PA Continuously for 10 years:

• Disclosure Statement application for volunteers to be filed at the place of service.
• Pennsylvania State Police Clearance
• Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance

Please note: Minors who are volunteering are not required to obtain any clearances.

What is the renewal requirement for clearances?
All required clearances must be renewed every five years (60 months).

Volunteers who have been a resident of Pennsylvania for less than 10 years must renew their FBI Fingerprint clearance until they reach 10 years of residency in Pennsylvania. Once the volunteer meets the 10-year residency requirement, they must complete a Disclosure Statement Application for Volunteers which must be submitted every five years.

When are clearances required?
Clearances should be submitted prior to the commencement of volunteer service. There are certain circumstances under which provisional status might be approved. See “What is the provisional service period” below.

What is the provisional service period for volunteers?
Volunteers who reside in Pennsylvania do not have a provisional period.

Volunteers who reside in another state or country may serve for no more than 30 days as long as they provide clearances from their state or country of residence while their PA clearances are being processed.

Who must pay the costs for clearances and renewals?
All volunteer clearances are free with the exception of FBI fingerprinting. The cost of obtaining FBI Fingerprinting reports is the responsibility of the volunteer

Do one-time volunteers and chaperones need clearances (ex. school trip chaperone, parish carnival volunteers, etc.)?
Yes, because the individual has contact with or responsibility for a child.

Under what grounds can a prospective volunteer be denied service?
Any current and/or prospective Archdiocesan volunteer whose Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse History Clearance report indicates that the applicant is listed in the Statewide database as a perpetrator of an indicated or founded report committed within the five-year period immediately preceding the report, shall be immediately removed and subject to termination.

Any current and/or prospective Archdiocesan volunteer shall not be approved for service as a volunteer, or continue volunteer service where the report of criminal history record information indicates that he/she has been convicted of any of the offenses listed in the Disclosure Statement for Volunteers.

Who should retain a copy of an individual’s clearances?
The volunteer should retain a copy of all information and clearances. Additionally, the administrator, supervisor or other person responsible for acceptance of the individual to serve in any capacity requiring clearances, shall maintain copies of the required information and require the individual to produce the original documents prior to acceptance to serve in any such capacity. Copies of the required clearances must be kept in the individual’s Safe Environment file in a locked file cabinet.

Can clearances be transferred?
Clearances for volunteers from a non-Archdiocesan entity can be transferred.
Any volunteer who obtained their clearances within the previous 5 years (60 months) may transfer the clearances openly as long as the clearances remain current.
Clearances from employment positions can be transferred to volunteer positions.

.