Upcoming changes to clearances for employees that work with children
Starting January 1, 2020, all employees having contact with children as part of their job will be required to obtain criminal background checks and the PA Child Abuse History Clearance prior to beginning employment. Organizations will no longer be able to hire employees who have contact with children on a provisional basis, however, a waiver can be requested to hire a provisional employee for no more than 45 days. Such employees may not work alone with children until clearances are received.
This strengthening of the Child Protective Services Law has been put in place by the Wolf Administration as part of an effort to protect vulnerable populations, such as children, who receive care outside of their homes. DHS is required to process PA Child Abuse History Clearances within 14 days, and the FBI completes background checks within 30 days, so please consider these timelines when making any new hires at your United Way who will have contact with children.
To learn more about obtaining clearances, visit the Keep Kids Safe website http://www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov/. Provisional waivers will also be available on this site in the near future.