Clearances
VOLUNTEERS (age 18 & older)/PAID WORKERS (ages 14 & older)
Thank you for your interest in serving with the children and youth ministries at Elizabethtown BIC Church! It is our incredible privilege and responsibility to minister in a variety of ways to the children and youth of our congregation and to provide a safe, secure environment in which they may grow in the ways of our Lord Jesus Christ. We seek to do all of this in a world which is not always safe and in which abuse of children in various forms is prevalent enough to warrant vigilance on our part.
One of the ways we do that at EBIC is by giving close attention to the personnel who supervise our children and youth and the manner in which that supervision is given. Our policies and procedures are outlined in our Children & Youth Protection Policy. This policy not only provides a level of protection for our youth and children, but also sets forth expectations for children and youth workers that will help protect them from unfounded accusations.
In order to comply with that policy and with state regulations for childcare volunteers, all volunteer children and youth workers (age 18 or older) and all paid children & youth workers (age 14 and older) must complete and submit the following:
- EBIC Background Information Form | new volunteers/workers only
- PA State Police Response for Criminal Record Check
- PA Department of Human Services Child Abuse History Clearance
- PA residency statement OR Federal Criminal History Background Check
Clearances are valid for 5 years from date of completion
A copy of THE ENTIRE COMPLETED PAPERWORK PACKET should be returned to the CHURCH OFFICE by any of these methods:
- A sealed envelope to the church office drop box
- Completed/scanned to
- Mailed to EBIC Elizabethtown BIC Church, 996 E High St, Elizabethtown PA 17022
PLEASE KEEP ALL ORIGINALS of your clearance documentation, especially if you plan to volunteer other places. Each organization with whom you volunteer requires a copy of these clearances.
Instructions for completing each of these items are found below:
EBIC Background Information Form
PA State Police Criminal Record Check
- WEBSITE: https://epatch.pa.gov
- COST: $22 (for paid workers) FREE (for volunteers)
- An instant response will be provided if there is no record
- Submit a printed copy of your PA STATE POLICE RESPONSE FOR CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK
PA Dept of Human Services Child Abuse History Clearance
- WEBSITE: www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS
- COST: $13 (for paid workers) FREE (for volunteers)
- Create an account and submit your request electronically. It is helpful to collect the following information prior to beginning your submission:
- Addresses where you have previously lived
- Names of all individuals with whom you have lived to include parents, guardians, siblings, spouses, etc.
- Any previous names you have used or have been known by
- Results will be emailed/mailed to you within 14 days of submission.
- Submit a printed copy of your PA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES CHILD ABUSE HISTORY CLEARANCE
PA Residency/MINOR AFFIRMATION OR Federal Criminal History Background Check
OPTION #1 PA Residency/MINOR AFFIRMATION verification
If you:
- are a VOLUNTEER ONLY (18 or older) or MINOR PAID WORKER (ages 14-17)
- have lived in Pennsylvania during the entirety of the past 10 consecutive years
- can attest to not having been convicted of a felony nor a sex crime over the past 5 years
- are a MINOR PAID WORKER ONLY and can have a PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN swear and affirm swear and affirm in writing that you are not disqualified from service
you may complete the appropriate section(s) of this form: PA Residency and/or MINOR AFFIRMATION signature form. You do NOT need to complete the Federal Criminal History Background Check
OPTION #2 Federal Criminal History Background Check
If you are either a:
- Paid worker (18 or older) OR minor paid worker (ages 14-17) who has not lived in PA for the last 10 years
- Volunteer (18 or older) AND have NOT lived in Pennsylvania during the entirety of the past 10 consecutive years
you need to complete a fingerprint based Federal (FBI Criminal History Background Check):
- REGISTER ONLINE and schedule a 10-minute fingerprint appointment at IdentoGO .Enter the appropriate code below:
- 1KG6ZJ (volunteer, 18 or older) | 1KG756 (paid worker, 14 or older)
- PRINT YOUR REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION email & take it along with a form of identification (driver's license, photo ID or US passport) and form of payment (credit card, check or money order) to the Elizabethtown Public Library.
Click here to view the Children and Youth Policy Handbook.