Volunteer Clearances
Volunteer Clearances
At Immaculate Conception Academy, the safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. In accordance with the Diocese of Allentown and Pennsylvania state law, all volunteers who have direct contact with children are required to complete and maintain current background clearances.
These clearances help ensure a safe, faith-filled environment for every child entrusted to our care. Whether you’re helping in the classroom, chaperoning a field trip, assisting with lunch duty, or supporting a Home & School event, your cooperation with these requirements is deeply appreciated and vital to our mission.
Below you will find step-by-step guidance for completing and submitting your clearances, along with links to required forms and renewal information. Please contact our school office if you have any questions or need assistance with the process.
All adults must complete the following Volunteer Clearances
1. Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check (Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH)
(dated 2021 or later, then good for 5 years) – Volunteer Clearances
2. Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Certificate
(dated 2021 or later, then good for 5 years)
3. Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Background Fingerprint Check (18+ years old)
(dated 2021 or later, if through DHS, less than 365 days old if PDE – good for 5 years)
4. Signed Acknowledgment form for Diocese’s Sexual Abuse Policy
(Policy Date 2022)
5. Signed Acknowledgment form for Diocese’s Code of Conduct
(Policy Date 2022)
6. Signed Acknowledgment form for Diocese’s Social Media Policy. (Policy Date 08/2025)
7. Protecting God’s Children completion certificate (this is now an online only class)
8. Certificate from Mandated Reporting Training
(dated 2021 or later, then good for 5 years)
9. Acknowledgement Form for Child Protective Services Law Policy
10. National Sex Offender Registration Verification MUST BE MAILED OR EMAILED (RA-PWNSOR@pa.gov) BY THE APPLICANT TO CHILDLINE. DO NOT RETURN THIS TO ICA- Mail it to – Clearance Verification Unit, ChildLine at the following address: Department of Human Services PO Box 8170 Harrisburg, PA 17105-8170
11. Motor Vehicle Report – if driving
12. Diocese of Allentown’s Background Check Policy (Policy Date 08/2025)
How to obtain your volunteer clearances
Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check (Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) (Less than one year old, recheck every 5 years) – new volunteers please complete PATCH online at: Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History – Home (state.pa.us) please click on “New Volunteer Record Check”, OR send your completed “Background Authorization Form” to punger@allentowndiocese.org
Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Certificate (Recheck every 5 years). To obtain the Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Certificate: https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home. A free check is available every 57 months.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal “DHS” Background Fingerprint Check (18+ years old) (less than one year old, recheck every 5 years) –payment & service codes are available through your Local Safe Environment Coordinator (Mrs. Ouimet,) or your CYO Representative. Register for the fingerprint at https://uenroll.identogo.com with payment code obtained from Local Safe Environment Coordinator (LSEC). During registration, make an appointment for fingerprint scanning at a nearby public site. Print receipt, take it to the appointment and provide receipt to the LSEC. Approximately two weeks after fingerprinting, you will receive the results in the mail. Bring the original document to the Local Safe Environment Coordinator at ICA for submission to the Diocese when you receive it.**Note – The heat from copying the receipt from the scanning site may deteriorate the print on the receipt.
Signed Acknowledgment form for 2022 Diocese of Allentown Sexual Abuse Policy which can be printed, reviewed, signed, and returned to ICA here: SexualAbusePolicy2022
Print and sign Acknowledgment DOA Policies and Procedures Regarding Alleged Sexual Abuse 082322
Signed Acknowledgment form for 2022 Diocese of Allentown Code of Conduct Policy which can be printed, reviewed, signed, and returned to ICA here: CodeofConduct2022_0
***UPDATED***Signed Acknowledgment form for 08/2025 Diocese of Allentown Social Media and Electronic Communications Policy which can be printed, reviewed, signed, and returned to ICA here: 08_25_Social_Media_policy
Complete the online Protecting God’s Children Workshop here https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/ and submit a copy of the certificate of attendance. Instructions can be found here PGC Virtual Training Directions 2023
Certificate from Mandated Reporting Training (good for 5 years) Mandated Reporter Training can be done at www.reportabusepa.pitt.edu. Print certificate of completion.
Review the Diocese of Allentown’s Child Protective Services Law Policy and sign the acknowledgement form – CPSL 2025 Then submit it to ICA.
Signed Background Check Authorization Form.
National Sex Offender Registry Check, must be less than a year old and completed every five years. https://www.dhs.pa.gov/KeepKidsSafe/Resources/Documents/NSOR.APPLICATION.05.02.22.pdf
***UPDATED*** Diocese of Allentown’s Background Check Policy (Policy Date 08/25) BackgroundCheckPolicy08_25
Submit all of the above volunteer clearances and documents to the ICA office as soon as possible.
For more information regarding Diocesan and State volunteer clearances and requirements please contact:
Mrs. Rhonda Ouimet at rhonda.ouimet@icaknights.org