A: Just doing a background screening alone isn’t enough. A comprehensive screening program that is part of a formal abuse prevention plan establishes a culture of safety and accountability with a written record of policies, practices, guidelines and procedures designed to protect the vulnerable.

The following are just a few key areas to consider including:
Comprehensive Screening Process—Unless a sexual predator has been previously convicted, the individual most likely won’t show up on a criminal background check. That’s why you need a multilayered screening process that includes the following:

1. Written Application
2. Reference Check and Interview
3. Background Check
4. Personal Interview

Six-month rule—Consider a requirement that individuals interested in volunteering with children attend your church for at least six months before being allowed to volunteer. Sexual predators seek easy access to children and typically won’t wait a long period of time to gain contact.

Training and education—Educate anyone who will be working with children 18 years and younger in your ministry on your abuse prevention policies and procedures. Have training in place that empowers your volunteers and employees to recognize the signs of predatory and grooming behaviors and trains them on documenting and reporting.

Supervision—Good supervision helps to deter abuse. The goal is to prevent situations that leave one employee or volunteer alone with minors in rooms, vehicles, restrooms or via technology.

A: Conducting thorough background checks on job candidates, current staff, and volunteers is an important part of protecting your ministry’s people and its financial assets. Carefully screening people before allowing them to be involved in your programs is an essential investment in your ministry’s future. The right background screening programs help:

When used in conjunction with other safety and risk management procedures, background screening helps ensure the safety of those you serve.

When used in conjunction with other safety and risk management procedures, background screening helps ensure the safety of those you serve.

• Protect your ministry from incidents of child sexual abuse.
• Prevent you from appointing staff or volunteers who may skim money from church accounts.
• Select drivers for ministry vehicles who have safe driving records.
• Select appropriate leaders.
• Attract new members and recruit volunteers who want to be involved in a safe ministry.

Reduce your ministry’s liability in court if something goes wrong, because it demonstrates that your ministry takes reasonable care to safeguard its members.

A: All volunteers who will work near or with children and all prospective employees regardless of position. All existing staff should be screened if they have not already, even if you know them well.

Carefully screening people before allowing them to work in your ministry is one of the best ways to protect young people and other vulnerable individuals from harm. Screening is also a useful tool in helping to select the right people for positions in ministry leadership and finances. As you implement and develop your screening program, keep these things in mind:

• Staff and volunteers who have frequent contact with children, the elderly, or people with disabilities should be held to a higher standard.
• Pastors, treasurers, and other people in leadership positions should undergo a thorough review.
• Drivers of ministry vehicles should have impeccable driving records.

Some states require background screening for workers involved in certain programs and ministries. If you are unfamiliar with the laws in your state, check with a local attorney to learn more.

Even if state law does not require your ministry to conduct background checks, creating and implementing a program is in your ministry’s best interest. A background screening program protects your ministry and demonstrates to your employees, volunteers, and members that your church cares about keeping its people and its resources safe.

A: Choose a reputable background screening provider who provides comprehensive services. The following questions can help guide your research into potential providers:

• What is this company's reputation as a background screening provider?
• What are other clients saying about this company?
• What type of service area does this company serve?
• What type of organizations does this company serve?
• Does this company specialize in working with churches and related ministries?
• How quickly does this company turn around screening requests?
• How does this company deliver screening reports?
• What type of customer service does this company offer?
• Does this company offer different screening options?
• How long has this company been in business?

A: Most states have public sex offender registries that can be valuable tools. However, sex offender registries include only individuals convicted of specific sexual offenses. There are a number of criminal offenses that may not result in someone being placed on a registry but could disqualify the individual from serving in your ministry. There is no substitute for obtaining a thorough background check from a reputable provider.

A: Yes. Federal law requires that job candidates and volunteers give written permission before a background check can be conducted. Your background screening provider should be able to provide you with the appropriate forms. You’ll need to ask your candidate to fill in the relevant information and sign the form. Then you can submit it to your screening provider for processing.

A: Too-good-to-be-true internet ads promote fast, easy, and cheap criminal records database searches. Unfortunately, you get what you pay for: dangerous gaps in your criminal background checks. Here’s why:

One of the best ways to prevent holes in your criminal background checks is to choose a reputable screening service provider. Good providers supplement a national criminal records database search with detailed county records. They check all possible names, addresses, or birthdates associated with an individual’s Social Security number.

• Incomplete records. Not all states and counties keep criminal records electronically. Even the best databases will lack information from those states and counties.
• Outdated information. Databases can be updated daily, weekly, monthly, or less frequently. As a result, a database search may not contain up-to-date information.
• False “hits.” There are a lot of John Smiths in the country. A search may find criminal convictions for other people with the same name as your candidate.
• Accidental omissions. Some people intentionally misspell their names or give false identifying information to authorities when arrested. Accidental misspellings can also occur in court records. As a result, a name-based search may accidentally omit pertinent records.

A: Yes. Most screening services provide this option. The service's customer service representatives will explain the process and send you the necessary forms. You should be able to order driving records independently of other screening options.