Certificates are processed by appointment only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Human Resources. Please be advised that due to high demand you may have to wait for assistance. We thank you for your understanding.
If you have any questions related to the certificates, please contact Human Resources at (610) 966-8330 to schedule an appointment.
Important Documents:
REQUIRED TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS: Please download and read the following Volunteer Training.
- Volunteer Training: Child Abuse – Board Policy 806
- Volunteer Training: Maintaining Professional Adult/Student Boundaries – Board Policy 824
- Volunteers – Board Policy 916
The East Penn School District is pleased you are considering volunteering your time to assist the staff and students of the district.
Volunteer – A volunteer is an adult serving in an unpaid position in which they are individually responsible for the welfare of a child or have “direct contact with children” (care, supervision, guidance or control of children), or routine interaction with children.
The information below has been updated due to the recent changes. Certificates are valid for 60 months (5 years) from the date issued and must be renewed in order to continue as a volunteer within the district.
For those that wish to be a volunteer, you are required to submit a Pennsylvania Criminal History and a Child Abuse History in addition to the notarized Volunteer Affidavit and Volunteer General Info Sheet to Human Resources located at 800 Pine Street in Emmaus. Copies of the Affidavit and General Info Sheet are available in Human Resources or under Important Documents above. The district has notary services (drivers’ license required for notary service) free of charge (for volunteer purposes only). Please note that if you have not been a resident of the state of Pennsylvania for 10 years, you will be required to complete the FBI Federal Criminal History to be a volunteer and submit the official result clearance to Human Resources.
- The Pennsylvania Criminal History can be completed online. The online results are available almost immediately. Complete the process online at Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) (external website) and click on “New Record Check (Volunteers Only)” and follow the instructions. Beginning July 25, 2015, the cost is waived ($0.00). The purpose of the certification will auto-fill with “Volunteer FREE”. At the end of the process, you will be shown a receipt on the screen (which you can print if you want a receipt). In the middle of the receipt, you will see “Certification Form” in blue. Click on this and it will bring up your Criminal Background Certificate which you will then print. Please note, once you print out the “Certification Form”, you will be unable to print it again.
- The Child Abuse History can be completed online. Requests for certifications may be made online at Pennsylvania Child Welfare Portal (external website). Beginning July 25, 2015, the cost is waived ($0.00). When indicating the purpose of the certification, please indicate “Volunteer”. Upon signing on to the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Portal, you will be asked to “Create Individual Account” or “Individual Login”. If this is your first time on the site, you will select “Create Individual Account”. Here you will be asked to create your Keystone ID# (this is an ID that you will create for yourself and retain for later use). Upon completion and submission of your application you will be notified via email when your certification is ready to view online (anywhere from 1 day to 4 weeks). You will then log back into your account on the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Portal and select “Individual Login” to access and print out the certificate. If you selected to have a copy mailed to you, it could take 4 – 8 weeks or longer.
Certificates must be brought to Human Resources, located at 800 Pine Street in Emmaus, by appointment only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (unless otherwise noted on the Human Resources Website). Please be advised that due to high demand you may have to wait for assistance. Copies will be made for our records and the originals returned to you. Please note: We will not be able to provide you with copies of these certificates in the future so please be sure to put the originals in a secure location. Written notification must be provided by the volunteer to Human Resources no later than 72 hours after an arrest or conviction of an offense that would constitute grounds for denying participation as a volunteer.
If you have not been a resident of the state of Pennsylvania for 10 years, you will be required to complete the FBI Federal Criminal History to be a Volunteer and submit the official result certificate to Human Resources.
3. The FBI Federal Criminal History requires individuals to have fingerprints digitally rolled at a registered fingerprinting site.
Registration – The applicant must register prior to going to the fingerprint site. Walk-in service is allowed but all applicants are required to complete pre-enrollment in the new Universal Enrollment system. Pre-enrollment can be completed online or over the phone. The registration website is available online 24 hours/day, seven days per week at https://uenroll.identogo.com (external website). Telephonic registration is available at 1-844-321-2101 Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm EST. During the pre-enrollment process, all demographic data for the applicant is collected (name, address, etc.) along with notices about identification requirements and other important information.
When registering on-line, an applicant must use the appropriate agency specific Service Code (1KG6ZJ) to ensure they are processed for the correct agency (PDHS) and/or applicant type (PDHS Volunteer). Using the correct service code ensures the background check is submitted for the correct purpose. Fingerprint requests processed through any other agency or purpose cannot be accepted and are not transferable. If an applicant enters the wrong code by mistake, the incorrect applicant type will appear at the top of the screen. The applicant should select the “Back to Home” button and begin the process again, by reentering the correct Service Code. If the applicant proceeds with the process under the incorrect code, the pre-enrollment and/or results cannot be transferred to another state agency and the applicant will have to start the process over and pay for the background check again.
Employer information section: If the applicant knows the agency/organization they will be volunteering for, they should enter that agency/organization’s information. (East Penn School District; 800 Pine St., Emmaus, PA 18049)
Payment – The applicant will pay a fee for the fingerprint service and to secure an unofficial copy of the Criminal History Record. Major Credit Cards as well as Money Orders or Cashier’s Checks payable to MorphoTrust will be accepted on site for those applicants who are required to pay individually. No cash transactions or personal checks are allowed.
For detailed information on this process, please use the following link: Information on Federal Criminal History Background Checks (external website).
If you have any questions related to the certificates, please contact Human Resources at (610) 966-8330 to schedule an appointment.