Volunteering FAQ

Westtown School volunteers (age 18 and up) who are responsible for a child’s welfare or who have “direct volunteer contact” with children at Westtown— meaning the care, supervision, guidance, or control of children and routine interaction with children are required to have background checks.  “Routine interaction” means “regular and repeated contact that is integral to a person’s volunteer responsibilities.”

Westtown visitors are not normally required to obtain background checks to the extent that they are not responsible for a child’s welfare or are visiting the school irregularly and not providing for the care, supervision, guidance, or control of children.  Some examples of situations where such visitors normally would not be required to have background checks would include but are not limited to:

Some examples of persons needing background checks would include but are not limited to:

• Regular classroom volunteer assistants
• Recess and library volunteers
• Volunteer coaches/club advisors
• Host family members (age 18 and up)
• Chaperones for field trips

Volunteers must obtain the following certifications:

1. Report of Criminal History from the Pennsylvania State Police; and
2. Child Abuse History Certification from the Department of Human Services; and
3. A fingerprint-based federal criminal history (Federal Bureau of Investigation) submitted through the Pennsylvania State Police or its authorized agent UNLESS:

• • The position the volunteer is applying for is an unpaid position; AND

  • The volunteer has been a resident of Pennsylvania for the entirety of the previous  10 years.

Volunteers who are not required to obtain the FBI certification (due to the two requirements above) must complete this form.

Volunteers are required to obtain certifications every 60 months.

• Report of Criminal History from the Pennsylvania State Police
• Child Abuse History Certification from the Department of Human Services
• FBI Fingerprinting OR Disclosure Statement (if fingerprinting is not required)

*If the volunteer position is paid OR you have NOT been a resident of Pennsylvania for 10 years then you need to obtain FBI Fingerprinting through the following steps: