Volunteer Screening Policy.
Amended Ohio Senate Bill 187 (Ohio Revised Code sections 109.574-577, 121.401, 121.402) became law on March 22, 2001. The legislation’s purpose is to help ensure that youth-serving organizations that place volunteers in positions requiring “unsupervised access to children on a regular basis[1]” use appropriate screening methods. This legislation includes volunteers for any “religious, charitable, scientific, educational, athletic, or service institution or organization or local government entity that provides care, treatment, education, training, instruction, supervision or recreation to children.” (Section 109.574)
This law does not mandate fingerprint checks. It does say, however, that fingerprint checks are suggested as a “best practice.” In the event that the Organization plans to have a volunteer who is given “unsupervised access to children on a regular basis” that individual will be required to complete a background check paid for by the Organization. Section 109.575 requires that all potential volunteers for youth-serving organizations are informed that they may be required to be fingerprinted. The Organization will share this information with all potential volunteers via the website, sign-up forms, letters, etc. According to Section 109.572(A)(1), if an organization discovers through any method (fingerprint checks, references, county checks, self disclosure, or otherwise) that a volunteer has a felony record of one of the offenses listed within the legislation, that organization has three choices.
1. It may dismiss the volunteer;
2. It may move the volunteer into a position that does not require unsupervised access to a child; or
3. If the organization chooses to keep the volunteer in that position, it must notify the parents of each child for whom the volunteer provides services. The organization must name the individual, but may not identify the offense(s). (Section 109.576)
Such occurrences will be individually reviewed by the Board and one of the 3 above choices selected based on the findings and the role the individual was serving. All decisions shall be made in the best interest of the children the organization is serving.
[1] “Unsupervised” means that “no other person 18 years or older is present in the same room with the child and/or if outdoors, no other person 18 years or older is within a 30 yard radius of the child or has visual contact with the child.” (Section 109.574) A child is defined as an individual under age 18 or a mentally and/or physically handicapped individual under the age of 21.
This law does not mandate fingerprint checks. It does say, however, that fingerprint checks are suggested as a “best practice.” In the event that the Organization plans to have a volunteer who is given “unsupervised access to children on a regular basis” that individual will be required to complete a background check paid for by the Organization. Section 109.575 requires that all potential volunteers for youth-serving organizations are informed that they may be required to be fingerprinted. The Organization will share this information with all potential volunteers via the website, sign-up forms, letters, etc. According to Section 109.572(A)(1), if an organization discovers through any method (fingerprint checks, references, county checks, self disclosure, or otherwise) that a volunteer has a felony record of one of the offenses listed within the legislation, that organization has three choices.
1. It may dismiss the volunteer;
2. It may move the volunteer into a position that does not require unsupervised access to a child; or
3. If the organization chooses to keep the volunteer in that position, it must notify the parents of each child for whom the volunteer provides services. The organization must name the individual, but may not identify the offense(s). (Section 109.576)
Such occurrences will be individually reviewed by the Board and one of the 3 above choices selected based on the findings and the role the individual was serving. All decisions shall be made in the best interest of the children the organization is serving.
[1] “Unsupervised” means that “no other person 18 years or older is present in the same room with the child and/or if outdoors, no other person 18 years or older is within a 30 yard radius of the child or has visual contact with the child.” (Section 109.574) A child is defined as an individual under age 18 or a mentally and/or physically handicapped individual under the age of 21.