Volunteer background checks  

Volunteer background checks can successfully screen current and prospective volunteers and employees, preventing unsuitable individuals contact with children, the elderly, or disabled.


Volunteers must usually qualify to participate in an organization, which provides care or care placement services to children, the elderly, or the disabled. A criminal record check may be ordered by administrators after a volunteer has qualified to participate in the program.

In 1993, Congress passed the National Child Protection Act (NCPA), authorizing criminal background checks for individuals working with children in an employee or volunteer status. In 1994, the act was amended to include the elderly and disabled individuals. In 1998, the act was again amended, making it easier for state and national criminal history information to be obtained.

Administrators should thoroughly review volunteer background checks, to establish if there is any reason why an applicant should not be permitted to work with children, the elderly, or the disabled. If the criminal checks do not reveal any record, the assumption should not be made that is individual is not a risk to the volunteer's services. No Record only means the individual has not been arrested or convicted of a crime known to the FBI.

In conducting volunteer background checks, investigate former places of employment, interview neighbors, obtaining information from local law enforcement agencies, and request more information from the individual. This is to ensure that problem volunteers will be eliminated.