Volunteer Clearance Information

Our volunteers are a tremendous asset to our school. From field trip chaperoning and lunch/playground duty to class party organizing and many things in between, we appreciate and value all you do. In order to maintain the safety of our students and to comply with Pennsylvania State Law, all volunteers will be required to provide the following.

CLEARANCES: All of our volunteers who have “responsibility for the welfare of a child or direct contact with a child” (an individual who is under the age of 18) are required by the state of Pennsylvania to complete the required clearances. These clearances must be renewed every 60 months. If you have completed these clearances for another organization within the past 60 months we will accept these clearances.

Pennsylvania Criminal History | Complete online.
– Click "New Record Check" (Volunteers Only)
– Complete Record Check
– Print out the results IMMEDIATELY when completed, you will not be able to obtain results if you close out.
– Submit your original copy to the school office to be copied and put on file.

Pennsylvania Child Abuse History | Complete online.
– Click Create Individual Account, and create your Keystone ID (you’ll need to remember this!)
– Once completed, retrieve your temporary password from your email.
– Return here. 
– Click "Individual Login"
– Click "Access My Clearances," then continue
– Login with the Keystone ID you created and temporary password
– Create new password and submit. Click the close button, then login with your Keystone ID and new password.
– Click "Create Clearance Application" after agreeing to website conditions, then click "Begin"
– Select the “Volunteer Having Contact with Children” bubble. Organization name: Grace Christian School
– Fill out the application
– The last page on the application you see is titled Application Payment. You may either choose to enter a code that we can provide by request or select “no”. If you enter a code, we will have direct access to your results and you will not need to print and submit it to us manually. If you do not enter a code, you will need to submit your original copy to the school office along with your clearances for us to copy.
– To request a payment code, you may email Diana O'Brien.

FBI Criminal History (Fingerprint)
Exempt: If you have held residency in the state of Pennsylvania for the past 10 consecutive years or more, you will not be required to complete the FBI Criminal History Clearance. You must complete and sign the attached Residency Waiver and submit with your clearances to the school office to keep on file.

Non-Exempt: If you have not held residency in the state of Pennsylvania for the past 10 consecutive years, you will be required to complete the FBI Criminal History Clearance. You must complete and sign the attached Residency Waiver and submit with your clearances to the school office to keep on file. You will be emailed instructions to complete your FBI Clearance when we receive your waiver.

MANDATED REPORTING: Any individual who is a part of a regularly scheduled program, activity, or service and has responsibility for a child is now considered a mandated reporter. This means all of our volunteers and paid staff are now responsible for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect. Those who work with children also need to understand that according to the law, if they suspect abuse and choose not to report it, they could be held legally responsible.

– ALL Volunteers are strongly encouraged to read through the attached PowerPoint Presentation outlining their responsibility as a mandated reporter as per PA State Law. Click here to view: Mandated Reporting