Would you consent to a background check

kelly&paul · September 2011

to volunteer at your dc's preschool?

dd recently started in the same preschool ds went to last year. We loved it, loved the teachers the school, everything. Dd never wanted to leave at drop off last year, perfect fit!

Went to the open house, and there was a packet of forms/papers what ever. One of the forms was to fill out if you wanted to volunteer in the classroom and if you did, you needed to give a copy of your drivers license and submit to a background check! I don't know if anything happened over the summer or not, we did NOT have to do this with ds last year. I know that any employee at the school has to have one done, but a parent volunteering in their child's class?

Would you consent or would you not. Why not? Thoughts on this?

nire99 · September 2011

Why wouldn't you? You have to do it to volunteer at the public schools here in OH.

I wouldn't allow my children to attend a school that didn't run a background check on anyone regularly working in the building.

penguingrrl · September 2011

If I had to I would consent since the other option is not to be involved in the classroom. But I think that it's overboard. I can't imagine a situation in which the classroom parent who is assisting would be alone with a child in order to act inappropriately.

jettagurl · September 2011

Yep. We need to (and did) for B's preschool class. Not a big deal to me at all. Maybe their director/school board just decided to cover themselves a bit better- I wouldn't assume something happened.

kelly&paul · September 2011

I did it. I have no problem with it, but a few people there said "absolutely not" and will not be volunteering as a result.. I don't know if it is the check itself that they are worried about or just that they don't think they should have to have one to volunteer twice a year (as one grandparent stated).

I didn't know it was a norm in other states.

mrs_kelly1014 · September 2011

Yep. It's pretty standard. You can't volunteer in most schools around here without having one, and as a principal, I love that extra layer of protection both for the students and school.

J&A2008 · September 2011

Are you planning on homeschooling after preschool? Or never volunteering in their schools?

It's what schools do. You want to work with the kids, you submit to a background check. And dear God, why on earth would you want otherwise?

kelly&paul · September 2011

J&A2008:
Are you planning on homeschooling after preschool? Or never volunteering in their schools?

It's what schools do. You want to work with the kids, you submit to a background check. And dear God, why on earth would you want otherwise?

I did consent to the check, I had no problem with it. I think it was more some of the other parents reactions. One grandma got all pissy and said "absolutely not, not gonna happen, you lost a volunteer" She just doesn't think she should have to do it.

superslug · September 2011

Yes, I had to to volunteer at DS's kindergarten (public school) and if DS2's preK required it I'd do it for them too.

FriskyPanda · September 2011

In Texas it's a state requirement that the center runs a background check on volunteers. It's probably something like that for your state.

J&A2008 · September 2011

kelly&paul:
J&A2008:

Are you planning on homeschooling after preschool? Or never volunteering in their schools?

It's what schools do. You want to work with the kids, you submit to a background check. And dear God, why on earth would you want otherwise?

I did consent to the check, I had no problem with it. I think it was more some of the other parents reactions. One grandma got all pissy and said "absolutely not, not gonna happen, you lost a volunteer" She just doesn't think she should have to do it.

Sorry, grandma, I'm not going to feel bad about losing you as a volunteer. How strange.

kelly&paul · September 2011

J&A2008:
kelly&paul:
J&A2008:

Are you planning on homeschooling after preschool? Or never volunteering in their schools?

It's what schools do. You want to work with the kids, you submit to a background check. And dear God, why on earth would you want otherwise?

I did consent to the check, I had no problem with it. I think it was more some of the other parents reactions. One grandma got all pissy and said "absolutely not, not gonna happen, you lost a volunteer" She just doesn't think she should have to do it.

Sorry, grandma, I'm not going to feel bad about losing you as a volunteer. How strange.

I know right? lol!

penguingrrl · September 2011

Does the school pay for the background checks? When I was a substitute teacher I had to pay for my own ($60 I think, back in 2006-2007 in NJ) so I'm curious who's paying for them. And how long are they good for? For subbing it was good for 3 years, so once your kid is in elementary/middle/high school do you need it annually or every few years?

I should say that while I think it's kind of overkill, I would obviously have no problem doing it. Better safe than sorry, I'm just surprised since I've never heard of it and it's not required around here.

veloelle · September 2011

I had one when I started volunteering for Kinder. It's standard policy in our district.

kelly&paul · September 2011

I guess MI is starting to catch up! Although, I didn't have to do one for ds's kindy. Same school district as dd's preschool and he started before her, so same background check isn't used (I don't think)

melodylb · September 2011

Lurker Here.. DH and I coach a T-ball team, we have to have a background check and so does any parent that will spend any time in the dugout. No one has complained yet.

mrs_kelly1014 · September 2011

penguingrrl:

Does the school pay for the background checks? When I was a substitute teacher I had to pay for my own ($60 I think, back in 2006-2007 in NJ) so I'm curious who's paying for them. And how long are they good for? For subbing it was good for 3 years, so once your kid is in elementary/middle/high school do you need it annually or every few years?

I should say that while I think it's kind of overkill, I would obviously have no problem doing it. Better safe than sorry, I'm just surprised since I've never heard of it and it's not required around here.

Every school I've ever worked for that requried background checks of volunteers has paid for it in full.

MaxandRuby · September 2011

I come from the "if you don't have anything to hide why are you even questioning it" boat. You are an adult wanting to volunteer at a preschool. All children but your own are strangers. Wouldn't you want a background check done on any parent volunteering at the preschool, in the church Sunday school, etc? Sorry, but it doesn't sound overboard to me. I don't know what is anyone else's past but my own and if they are going to be around my kid I'd sure appreciate knowing the school was being proactive making sure an adult there isn't some sort of danger to my kid.

lollitots · September 2011

I had to get a background check to volunteer at VBS over the summer. Also had one for the Girls Scouts to serve as a volunteer (not even a leader). It doesn't bother me and makes me feel good to know that the other adults working with my kids have had one.

KRISTA555 · September 2011

I would greatly appreciate the fact that they do that with anyone working around the children.

Heck, I had to have a background check in order to volunteer in my church's nursery, to cover my church's butt. (It's wierd to type out "church's butt".)

MichelleWP · September 2011

Our district just started requiring it this year for all volunteers - previously they didn't for those who just came in 2-3x a year (reader, etc), just those who were consistent. I always volunteer at the book fair where I supervise a few kids working, I am alone with them for much of this time - most of the kids who come in are alone (they send kids down who brought notes/money, but some whole classes with teachers). I completely understand the requirement. Our district does charge $20 for them, which I'm sure many parents are complaining about. I am a licensed daycare provider and just submitted one with my county (I have to every 2 yrs) so I'm hoping I can use that one with the schools (it's likely more thorough, not less).

littlemermaid · September 2011

In my children's school not only do you have to have a background check you have to attend a class that talks about how children can become victims to child molesters and how the person who you least thought could be a child molester could be one. They show interviews from child molesters in jails on how they would lure their victims in. This all has to be done before you can volunteer in our school and I greatly appreciate it because I definitely don't want a convicted child molester in my kids' school. Unfortunately the majority of these sickos don't get caught so they don't have a record.

Ilumine · September 2011

penguingrrl:
But I think that it's overboard. I can't imagine a situation in which the classroom parent who is assisting would be alone with a child in order to act inappropriately.

And I can imagine a handful of situations where a "known" volunteer used his/her influence with one of the students OUTSIDE of school.

Or better yet, you have a known criminal, drug abuse, or mental illness background. Just because you may not be alone with the children does not mean you should be WITH the children at all.

Rebekah1021 · September 2011

Why not? I have nothing to hide. I think if you are working with kids then you should be checked out. Not a big deal to me.

mom2one · September 2011

penguingrrl:
If I had to I would consent since the other option is not to be involved in the classroom. But I think that it's overboard. I can't imagine a situation in which the classroom parent who is assisting would be alone with a child in order to act inappropriately.

Really? That is absurdly naive. There are parents who prey on their OWN children.

Temp108743750006959 · September 2011

mom2one:

penguingrrl:
If I had to I would consent since the other option is not to be involved in the classroom. But I think that it's overboard. I can't imagine a situation in which the classroom parent who is assisting would be alone with a child in order to act inappropriately.

Really? That is absurdly naive. There are parents who prey on their OWN children.

I thought the same thing. Not overboard.

ashleyaugust7 · September 2011

I would consent to a bc, but just to play devils advocate, I can see people thinking background checks included financial infomation that maybe they aren't comfortable with having shared, and some people (my dad) are very paranoid about giving out their SSN. I think that is a bit of an oldschool way of thought.

passar3588 · September 2011

Yes, I would because I think it's pretty common these days if you want to work with kids. My DH had to have one to coach my DD's soccer team.

nire99 · September 2011

littlemermaid:
In my children's school not only do you have to have a background check you have to attend a class that talks about how children can become victims to child molesters and how the person who you least thought could be a child molester could be one. They show interviews from child molesters in jails on how they would lure their victims in. This all has to be done before you can volunteer in our school and I greatly appreciate it because I definitely don't want a convicted child molester in my kids' school. Unfortunately the majority of these sickos don't get caught so they don't have a record.

This is fantastic. I wish more schools would do this.

I provide this kind of training to local schools, daycares and churches. I do a survey before and after each session and it's always interesting to see how many people are clueless to the fact that most sexual offenders are someone the child knows.

AnnapolisLari · September 2011

Of course I would.

I had to have one to teach. My mom just had to be fingerprinted to teach Sunday school.

Better safe than sorry.

o2bme · September 2011

I would with no problem. I would feel uncomfortable sending my child to that school if they didn't require one.

kada626 · September 2011

I had to sign a consent form for school. I think it's good if they are actually checking.

shouldbworkin · September 2011

Yes and I did. For DD's PS and DS's elementary school. I do it ever year.

penguingrrl · September 2011

mom2one:
penguingrrl:
If I had to I would consent since the other option is not to be involved in the classroom. But I think that it's overboard. I can't imagine a situation in which the classroom parent who is assisting would be alone with a child in order to act inappropriately.

Really? That is absurdly naive. There are parents who prey on their OWN children.

Yes, and the parents who prey on their own children either aren't caught (and therefore would pass the background check) or are in jail or released with Megan's Law preventing school involvement. It's not that I think molestation doesn't happen, sadly it does happen and more frequently than any of us wants to know. I think that a background check isn't an effective preventative measure since sexual crimes too frequently go uncaught.

I actually see the utility in it for a coaching position or another where the adult will be forming a longer-term relationship with the child since I can very easily see where there would be openings to abuse that power. But a background check for anyone who enters the building to volunteer short-term (thinking of grandma who wants to come read a book to the preschool class twice a year) still seems overboard to me. Mostly because it can't predict future behavior or desires or those who can pass since they haven't been caught.

joseysbride · September 2011

I did. I didn't see the big deal. I have to do one to teach CCD class at church, too.

JellymanKelly · September 2011

I absolutely would. I will say this, though...When my younger brother was in elementary school my mom volunteered all the time. She went on nearly every field trip from K-5th grade. Sometime mid-5th grade the school started requiring background checks. My mom was signed up to chaperone a field trip around that time and for some reason they didn't run her background check prior to the trip. She was told she wasn't allowed to chaperone on the day of the trip, as everyone was getting on to the bus. They told her to come along and help, but she had to tag along with another parent's group. At the time, she totally understood that they required the background check, but didn't appreciate the fact that she had to be monitored when she had been volunteering at this school for 5 years (and several years when I went to the same school 10 years earlier). Of course the check came back completely clear, but it left a bad taste in her mouth since she had given so much time to the school over the years.

I agree that people who wouldn't consent to the background check either have something to hide or need to get their paranoia in check.

CleoKitty · September 2011

It just doesn't make all that much sense to me. So, grandma has to have a background check to come read a book to the class one time when she would not be left alone with the children, yet she can be most likely be invited for lunch/tea on grandparent's day or come watch a class performance with no need for the background check. What's the difference?

Safety precautions are fine, but sometimes rules like these leave little room for common sense IMO.

hikerbeth · September 2011

Yes. I have to for most volunteer stuff I do.

veloelle · September 2011

To those who say it doesn't make sense, have you volunteered? In the times I have, I've taken kids to the in-room bathroom and walked them to the nurse's office, times I am totally alone w/ a child. If anyone is alone w/ my child for any length of time, I think it is justifiable to require a background check. I don't care if it's grandma taking her to the bathroom.

That's what baffles me about the Nest. No background checks for people that work w/ your kids is a good policy, but we can't let them cross the street w/out a cell phone or ride a bike on the sidewalk in front of your house.

.

DandelionMom · September 2011

I've already consented to 3 this year (one per school and one to be a girl scout volunteer). It is nbd.

J&A2008 · September 2011

littlemermaid:
In my children's school not only do you have to have a background check you have to attend a class that talks about how children can become victims to child molesters and how the person who you least thought could be a child molester could be one. They show interviews from child molesters in jails on how they would lure their victims in.

This kind of seems strange. Now every single person volunteering has been given a "how-to" manual by a child molester.

Want a personalized experience?

Would you consent to a background check

Re: Would you consent to a background check

Choose Another Board

Search Boards