Safe Environment Requirements
For Parish Employees and Volunteers
Omnibus School Code Act 2011-24
Arrest/Conviction Report and Certification Form
Required for Employees and Volunteers
Please print out this form, complete, sign and submit it to your place of service: Omnibus PCC Background Checks - PDE Act 2011-24 form
PA State Police Criminal Record Check
To obtain immediate results:
https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp
To download form:
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?
open=512&objID=4451&&PageID=458621&level=2&css=L2&mode=2
Request_for_Criminal_Record_Check
PA Department of Public Welfare
Child Abuse Clearance Check
To download form:
http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/Resources/Documents/Pdf/
FillInForms/DPWchildabuse.pdf
Federal Background Check
As of April, 2007, the state of PA requires all new school employees to have a Federal background check. This must be obtained through the Cogent Systems using the Department of Education portal.
A Federal background check is also required for non-school employees and all volunteers, who do not live in PA or have lived outside of PA during the past two years. This must be obtained through Cogent Systems using the Department of Public Welfare portal.
Cogent website is located at: www.pa.cogentid.com
Safe Environment Training
To view list of dates and locations, and
register for a session:
https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/reg_list2.cfm?theme=0
Background Check Requirement:
No employee or volunteer should begin service in the parish without the PA State Police Criminal Record Check. This document can be obtained online and the results are usually available within three minutes. (Please see above chart for link to this webpage.)
Employees must secure the required background checks within 30 days of hire. During this provisional period, their service to children must be supervised. If the FBI Criminal History Record (Fingerprint check) is delayed in being processed, the employee from day of hire needs to provide proof that he/she has completed the process for securing the Fingerprint check.
Volunteers should have all of the required background checks as they begin their service to children. If they do not, they may receive provisional permission to volunteer as long as the forms to obtain the background checks have been submitted. During this provisional period, their service to children must be supervised. All background checks must be received within 30 days.
Training Requirement:
- Attendance at Safe Environment Training is expected with 90 days of beginning service to children.
Those who do not comply must be moved to “inactive status” until requirements have been completed