Recently in the state of Pennsylvania, the Child Protective Services Law was broadened by Act 153 to apply to “an adult applying for an un-paid position as a volunteer responsible for the welfare of a child or having direct contact with children”. 23 Pa.C.S. § 6344.2(a).
This means that all coaches are required to:
(1) Obtain a clean criminal history report from the Pennsylvania State Police.
(2) Obtain verification from the department of public welfare that the volunteer applicant is not named in the statewide database as the alleged perpetrator in a pending child abuse investigation or as the perpetrator of a founded report or an indicated report.
(3) Obtain a clean criminal history report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation by providing a full set of fingerprints to the Pennsylvania State Police for the purpose of an FBI records check. ($27.50)
23 Pa.C.S. § 6344(b)(1) through (3). However, the FBI back-ground check (item 3 above) is not needed if the unpaid volunteer applicant has been a resident of Pennsylvania for the last ten (10) years and swears or affirms in writing that he or she has not been convicted of one or more disqualifying crimes listed in 23 Pa.C.S. §
To file for your clearances, please visit:
For Child Abuse History Clearance (Required): https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home
For PA State Police Criminal Record Check (Required): https://epatch.state.pa.us/
For FBI Fingerprint (If needed): https://uenroll.identogo.com (Service Code: 1KG6ZJ)
For DGR Volunteer Disclosure Statement (if Applicable): Click Here
All coaches (head coach & assistant coaches) on a team must submit a copy of clearances prior to commencing practices.
If you already have the required clearances, you must still submit a copy of them for our records.
Copies of clearances may be submitted before the start of practices.
To review FAQ about the volunteer clearances, please visit:
http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/cs/groups/webcontent/documents/document/C_135249.pdf
If you have any questions or concerns about the clearances, please contact DGR Soccer at [email protected].