I. Statement
Criminal background screening on Coaches is conducted by outside third parties which specializes in such work, and overseen by a screening committee, a subset of the East Penn Emmaus Midget Football Association(EPEMFA) Board. This is executed in an effort to protect the children who participate in organized football and cheerleading related activities associated with EPEMFA.
II. Definitions
EPEMFA recognizes a Volunteer as any person who leads and instructs players at practices and/or games - or portions of practices and/or games - for any Football team or Cheerleading squad.
The criminal background screening is mandatory, no exceptions.
III. Procedure
Any adult applying for an unpaid position as a volunteer responsible for the welfare of a child or having direct contact with children will be required to have a background check performed.
All prospective volunteers must obtain the following clearances:
Report of criminal history from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP); and
Child Abuse History Clearance from the Department of Human Services (Child Abuse).
Additionally, a fingerprint based federal criminal history (FBI) submitted through the Pennsylvania State Police or its authorized agent is required if:
The position the volunteer is applying for is a paid position; and
The volunteer has lived outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the last 10 years.
Beginning July 1, 2015, prospective volunteers must submit clearances prior to the commencement of service.
All volunteers will be required to obtain clearances every 36 months. Timelines for renewed clearances are based upon the date of each individual clearance. If an individual or agency elected to renew all clearances at the same time, the date of the oldest clearance rather than the most recent would be used.
The Child Abuse, PSP and FBI clearances can all be applied for electronically. The FBI clearance also requires a fingerprint submission.
The Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check for Volunteers is free. Click below to perform this background check online. Click on the Volunteer buttons to start the process.
The Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance is free. Click below to perform this background check online:
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background Check costs $27.50 through the Department of Human Services. This is only required if you have lived outside the state of PA in the last 10 years. Click below to perform this background check online:
No other personal information (e.g. work history, financial, credit, etc.) is checked or researched.
In the event information surfaces via the background check, a screening committee, with members consisting of President, Vice President, Secretary, Football Coordinator and Cheer Coordinator of EPEMFA, will review such background check information to determine coaching eligibility. Only members of the screening committee will review data obtained, which will then be processed discreetly. All information is strictly confidential and will not be made public under any circumstances.
Reasons for being declined the opportunity to coach are noted below as part of this policy. In some instances, factors of time may be taken into account when considering coaching eligibility (i.e. length of time since disposition of certain offenses).
The decision of this screening committee may be appealed, for the purpose of clarifying facts or explaining extenuating circumstances, to the screening committee.
All coaches are required to notify the committee immediately following an arrest or conviction of any of the listed offenses. Any coach, who while coaching for EPEMFA is arrested for committing an offense as listed, will immediately forfeit his/her coaching eligibility until disposition by the courts. A conviction of an offense as listed will result in termination of coaching eligibility as stated in the policy.
The following is a list of offenses prohibiting an applicant from participation as a Coach under EPEMFA -- offenses including but not limited to the following:
Arson
Assault (including aggravated and sexual)
Aggravated Kidnapping
Aggravated Robbery
Crimes against Children (including abandonment, abuse, endangerment,
pornography, possession or promotion of pornography, enticement, solicitation, sale
or purchase of, injury to, or indecency)
Criminally Negligent Homicide
Deadly Conduct
Delivery of Marijuana
Manufacture of or Delivery of a controlled substance or dangerous drug
Any violation of a law intended to control the possession or distribution of any controlled substance or illegal drug
Indecent Exposure
Injury to Elderly or Disabled
Intoxication Manslaughter
Kidnapping
Manslaughter (voluntary or involuntary)
Murder
Prohibited Sexual Conduct
Prostitution (including promotion of, aggravated promotion of)
Public Lewdness
Rape
Sexual Abuse
Marijuana Possession*
DWI /DUI*
Theft**
*If a first offense and not currently under probation --- eligible, but can not drive any child other than his/her own.
More than one violation has occurred or currently on probation --- that person may be ineligible based on severity and length of time since offense occured.
**Eligibility dependent upon the severity and length of time since offense occurred.
