PENNSYLVANIA CHILD ABUSE HISTORY CLEARANCE INSTRUCTIONS

Requirements for clearances:

• Clearances that have been obtained in Pennsylvania within the past 60 months are acceptable and considered current. 

• Clearances obtained for employment purposes are acceptable for volunteer purposes.

• Clearances obtained for volunteer purposes are not acceptable for employment purposes.

• New/potential employees or volunteers must:

  • Submit current clearances before starting employment or show proof of applying for clearances and sign a disclosure statement before starting employment on a provisional basis.

• Employees/volunteers presenting clearances within the past 60 months need to affirm that nothing has changed since obtaining the clearances. (The disclosure statement for provisional employment is used for this purpose.)

• Employees/volunteers are required to report changes in clearances status within 72 hours.

• Background check fees for volunteers are waived one time within a 5-year period. Refunds are not provided for applicants who submit over-payments with their background check paper applications.

• A Child Abuse Clearance can be obtained through the Child Welfare Portal.

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Creating an account and submitting your clearance application online will give you immediate access to your results or the status of your results if your results cannot be processed immediately. 

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You must submit a hard copy of your results to the church prior to volunteering.

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PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK INSTRUCTIONS

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Online Request:
The Pennsylvania State Police have established a web-based computer application called “Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History,” (PATCH). 

 

If you have questions about the Pennsylvania State Police Request for Criminal Record Checks form, please call: (717) 783-9973 or toll free 1-888-783-7972.

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