How to obtain clearances
What to Know:
Pennsylvania Act 153 mandates that volunteers must complete 3 required background checks when working with minors in any capacity. They are the PA State Criminal Clearance, the PA Child Abuse Clearance, and a Federal Criminal History Record/FBI Fingerprinting check. You should confirm with your volunteer site coordinator whether or not clearances are required before starting the process.
Clearances are good for 5 years. Please retain them for your records throughout your time at Dickinson and beyond. Please note that CCLA does not receive or retain copies of student clearances. Students are responsible for holding on to clearances and providing them to their host organizations when necessary. Our role is to connect you with the proper resources and make the clearance process easier to understand, so you can get involved in your community!
If you are a faculty member who requires clearances for one of your courses, please reach out to Laura Megivern at megiverl@dickinson.edu.
How to Do It:
PA State Criminal Clearance
Step-by-step guide: PA State Criminal Clearance
The process is completed online. You will request a record check on yourself and submit your contact information. Results typically happen quickly and will be available through email. There is no fee for this clearance.
PA Child Abuse Clearance
Step-by-step guide: PA Child Abuse Clearance
To complete the PA Child Abuse Clearance, you will need to create an online Keystone Key account that you will access your clearances from. Once you create the account, you can enter all the required information and view the results within a few days. The fee for this clearance is waived for volunteers.
FBI Fingerprint Check
If you need to acquire this clearance, please fill out the following form.
**If you have lived in PA continuously for the past 10 years, you do not have to complete the FBI Fingerprinting Check. Instead, you must fill out PA Residential Affidavit Form.
Finding Opportunities:
Once you have copies of each of the 3 clearances, you are set to go! Make sure you show your clearances to the organization you are volunteering with and keep them in your personal records.
For service opportunities, check out our online community bulletin board on Padlet.
If you are interested in developing a long-term service partnership, please reach out to sterlinm@dickinson.edu about our Pathways program. We're excited to help you get connected with the community!