Many new and veteran non profit children’s organizations have grown in number and importance. At the same time, many volunteers and community partners have joined the effort to serve children’s needs with exciting results. While the
personal rewards of working with a non profit children’s organization are great, the non profit organization must not forget the importance of protecting those children by engaging in thorough background screening of internal staff and volunteer workers.
The
Volunteers for Children Act, HR 2422, was signed into law by President Clinton in October 1998, and specified the requirements organizations must meet in order to serve the interests of children. Conducting
background checks on prospective volunteers and employees of non profit children’s organizations was an important outgrowth of the bill, and has gained significant importance in recent years. Completing a background check of an individual’s fingerprint/criminal record, personal liability and credit history can help non profit children’s organizations ascertain the individual’s
moral capability and character while avoiding any potential risk to children who are directly served by the organization’s activities or programs.
When non profit children’s organizations take the time to engage in national background checks, they can possibly recognize previously convicted criminals, sex offenders and drug abusers, who often apply for work with non profit children’s organizations in states that are away from the original locations of their criminal behavior. The popularity of
non profit children’s organizations has brought the higher risk of exposure to employees and volunteers with questionable backgrounds. Though most people seek to make a positive contribution to serving children’s needs, it is imperative that non profit children’s organizations take the time to research the history of every prospective employee and volunteer to head off the potential for criminal acts against children.
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