Will there be a new process to obtain a certification? No. The process to obtain child abuse and criminal history certifications will remain the same. The Child Abuse and PSP certifications will continue to be applied for and paid for electronically. When indicating the purpose of the certifications, the applicant will continue to indicate employment and then the applicable type of employment.
All necessary instructions and links to apply for these certifications can be found at http://www.dhs.state.pa.us/findaform/childabusehistoryclearanceforms/index.htm.
The PSP website will be altered to reflect the reduction of the fee. In addition, new forms will be available to download from the website.
Can I use a child abuse history certification or PSP criminal history certification I obtained for my volunteer activities for employment purposes? No. Child abuse history certifications and PSP criminal history certifications obtained for volunteer purposes can only be used for other volunteer activities. Child abuse history certifications obtained for volunteer purposes will indicate that the clearance is to be used for volunteer purposes only. Can I use a child abuse history certification or PSP criminal history certification I obtained for employment purposes for volunteer purposes? Yes, if you obtained a certification for employment purposes within the previous 60 months you may use the certification to serve in a volunteer capacity for any program, activity or service. Is the use of a third-party vendor to process certifications acceptable? Third-party vendors may be used to process Child Abuse, PSP and FBI certifications using the steps established above. They are not permitted to conduct background checks or certification through other databases in lieu of the steps outlined above. In addition, institutions remain responsible for the employment decision based on the information obtained.
Can an institution pay for certifications? Child Abuse certifications:
Yes, institutions can pay for Child Abuse certifications by registering for a Business Partner User account using the “Organization Account Access” link on the Child Welfare Portal: www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis. The business account will allow institutions to purchase Child Abuse certification payment codes to be distributed to applicants or employees. Individual applicants or employees will then go onto the Child Welfare Portal to apply for the certification using the code. The pre- purchased codes can only be used once and allows the organization to have access to the applicant’s Child Abuse certification results once those results are processed.
5 7/15/2015
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