NOTE:   If you are going to be a 1-time chaperone on a school field trip – you just need your background checks. If you are going to be a chaperone for more than 1 school field trip – you need your background checks and training.

Obtaining Required Background Checks

1. PA State Police Criminal Record Check

• Can be obtained online at https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp with results available within a few minutes
• Cost is $10 until July 24, 2015. Beginning July 25, 2015, the cost is FREE

2. PA Department Human Services Child Abuse History Clearance

• Can be obtained online at https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS
• Beginning July 25, 2015, the cost is FREE

3. Federal Criminal Background Check:

• Go to http://www.pa.cogentid.com to schedule an appointment and pay for the background check.
  Parish Staff and Volunteers must click on the Department of Human Services icon to be directed to the proper location. The Agency ID number is not a required field, please skip over that.
• Cost $27.00

Clearance Renewal Requirements 

All required clearances, including FBI, must be renewed  every three years (36 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 three years. 

Required Training 

All clergy, as well as staff and volunteers of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who have regular contact with children (at least one time per week) must complete the following training requirements. 

Classroom Component

Safe Environment Part I: Protecting God’s Children, provides basic facts about child sexual abuse and adults’ roles in prevention. Attendance is expected within 90 days of hire. To register, go to https://www.virtusonline.org. 

See 1. below for more detailed instructions.

Mandated Reporter Online Component
Safe Environment Part II: Mandated Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse, provides an overview of Archdiocesan reporting procedures for suspected child abuse and Pennsylvania Child Welfare Laws. This training is mandatory for all new clergy, as well as staff and volunteers who began service after December, 2011 or did not take the training in person.

Mandatory Reporting of Child Sexual Abuse, is available in English and Spanish. Hold Ctrl and click here to login to the Training Institute and begin the training.
Please note that if you began service before December, 2011, but did not attend the Mandated Reporter training, you are out of compliance and must complete the online training.

See 2. below for more detailed instructions.

Review of the Technology Addendum
This training module is only pertinent to those staff and volunteers who attended the Safe Environment/Protecting God’s Children Training before July 1, 2011. From this date forward the addendum has been included in the new Safe Environment Foundational Training.
See 1b. below for more detailed instructions.

1. Classroom Component – Virtus

“Safe Environment Part I: Protecting God’s Children” (Virtus)
provides basic facts about child sexual abuse and adults’ roles in prevention.

· Go to www.virtusonline.org to register for a class

· On the left, click on ‘registration’

· Select, ‘view a list of sessions’

· Select, Philadelphia PA (Archdiocese)

· Complete registration

· This class is attended in person and takes approx. 2-1/2 hours

· A certificate will be mailed by the Archdiocese to the “Place of Service” you entered on your “Standards for Ministerial Behavior form”. (You should enter Resurrection as place of service).

1a. Signed “Standards for Ministerial Behavior”
You will get this at the class above. (1) copy goes to your parish, (1) copy you keep.

1b. Information and Technology Addendum
· Obtained at Virtus class if taken after July 1, 2011
· If you took the Virtus Class before July 1, 2011, you can take the Information and Technology online. Please follow this link: here (Information and Communication Technology Addendum)
· This is a 29 page review with a quiz at the end
· Follow the instructions and complete the quiz
· Once you receive your certificate, make a copy and send it to Resurrection Regional School Office.

2. Online Component – Mandated Reporter

“Safe Environment Part II: Mandated Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse”
provides an overview of Archdiocesan reporting procedures for suspected child abuse and Pennsylvania Child Welfare Laws. This training is mandatory for all new clergy, as well as staff and volunteers who began service after December, 2011 or did not take the training in person.

· You can take online at www.childyouthprotection.org/
· Click on “Training Institute”
· You will need to login (or register if you have not previously been to the site),
· Select ‘Online Trainings’ on the left hand side, and select ‘Safe Environment Part II: Mandatory Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse.’
· Complete the online course

·Once you receive your certificate, make a copy and send it to Resurrection Regional School Office.

You should keep copies of everything for your personal records.