Website Manager

Upper St. Clair Athletic Association

Background Clearances

Current Volunteers: 

1. Look up your submitted information

Just fill out this simple form below.  If your information is found, an email will be automatically sent to the USCAA. 

USCAA Clearance Lookup Form

2. Check your clearance expiration date!

CheckIf you have previously submitted volunteer clearances to the school district, you may now request an email containing the information we currently have on file. To request an email, please click here

Important note: If you did not provide an email address when initially submitting your clearances, you will be unable to request your information using our automated system.



New Volunteers:

The Child Protective Services Law requires background checks for volunteers in youth sports. 

Steps to Become a Volunteer

The USCAA works with the Upper St. Clair School District to maintain clearances.  All information can be found at this link 

1.  Obtain the following required clearances:

    1. PA Criminal Record Check (Act 34), FREE
      Follow the instructions through to the Certification Page. Once the search results table appears, click on the Control Number. Click on the Certification Page to access, save and print your official Clearance.

    2. PA Child Abuse History (Act 151), FREE
      Creating an account and submitting your clearance application online will give you immediate access to your results or the status of your results if your results cannot be processed immediately.

    3. If applicable, Act 114, $21.35; Individuals who have resided in Pennsylvania for the past 10 consecutive years DO NOT need to obtain this clearance. 
      Once on the IndentoGO website, select Schedule or Manage Appointment, where you will complete the online form to begin processing your clearance. During this process, you will have the opportunity to locate and make an appointment at a fingerprinting service center. Be sure to bring all required documentation to your appointment. Please note that you will receive notice of an "unofficial copy - applicant use only" of your federal criminial history background check. Keep this for your records. You will NOT receive an official copy.

2.  Download and complete the Volunteer Disclosure Statement. This document must be signed, dated and witnessed. It does NOT need to be notarized. As stated on the disclosure statement, you are required to notify the district, in writing within 72 hours if you are arrested for or convicted of an offense that would constitute grounds for denying participation as a volunteer, or you are named as a perpetrator in a child abuse report. Willful failure to do so has criminal implications and may jeopardize your ability to volunteer within the district. 

3.  After completing Steps 1 and 2, submit requested information via the following online form: Volunteer Clearance Verification Form. Upon completing Step 3, you will receive a confirmation email.  

4.  Print two (2) copies of each required document: one for your records and one to submit to the Upper St. Clair School District.

5.  Place district copies in a sealed envelope marked “CONFIDENTIAL VOLUNTEER CLEARANCES”.  This packet may be submitted one of two ways:  

    1. Hand deliver to the District Administration Building
      (Hours are Mon. - Thurs., 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Fri., 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
      Our District Administration Building is located on the Upper St. Clair High School campus - adjacent to the stadium. If you enter campus via Truxton Drive, the one-way road takes you directly in front of the building. Visitor parking is located across from the entrance. If you enter via Westminster or McLaughlin Run Road, enter the upper parking lot and park in the spaces above the administration building. The building's main entrance is marked by an arched overhang.

    2. Send via U.S. mail to the following address:  

Upper St. Clair School District Administrative Building
Attn:  Confidential Volunteer Clearances
1775 McLaughlin Run Road
Upper St. Clair, PA  15241

Please note that clearances may NOT be submitted via email.

6.  Clearance documents will be reviewed by the district's Safety & Security Coordinator. Please note that individuals are NOT approved to volunteer until they have been contacted by a district representative.  

7.  You will be contacted via email once this review process is complete.


Any questions or concerns on this process should be directed to: [email protected].


USCAA Clearance Policy

1. Purpose

The Upper St. Clair Athletic Association (USCAA) strongly supports the involvement of parents/guardians and community volunteers to enhance youth sports. Accordingly, the USCAA Board encourages the use of a variety of opportunities for parent/guardian and community volunteers subject to certain requirements and procedures set forth in this policy.

2. Authority

The USCAA Board may adopt and enforce reasonable rules and regulations governing coach volunteers and their participation in the activities of the USCAA.

3. Delegation of Responsibility

The USCAA Board President, or designee shall promulgate any further rules, forms, procedures, etc., to fully implement this policy that will help provide for the safety and security of each participant, maintain the privacy of confidential participant information and respect the authority of the USCAA Board overseeing the volunteers. The USCAA President is given the authority to interpret this policy.

4. Definitions

Direct Contact with Children - the possibility of the care, supervision, guidance or control of children or routine interaction with children.

Volunteer - adult who provides a service without compensation, remuneration or other consideration for coaching/supervising any USCAA program. If an individual or the organization employing the individual is receiving any consideration for the services provided, they are not a volunteer and are not governed by this policy.

Adult - individual 18 years of age or older.

5. Clearance Guidelines

Required Clearances
Clearances are required for all unpaid adult volunteers who are responsible for the welfare of a child or have the possibility of caring for, supervising, guiding or controlling children or routine interaction with children, regardless of the number of hours or frequency of the contact. In the case of the USCAA, that includes all Board approved Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches.

In addition, paid 3rd party coaches and organizations/vendors who will have direct, on-going contact with children must have approved clearances. It is the responsibility of the individual sports commissioner to contact the USCSD with the names of the organization/coaches who will require clearances.

No person who is required to submit clearances will be permitted to volunteer if the criminal history or child abuse reports/clearances required by this policy evidence an offense, which would preclude such individual from providing services under the Child Protective Services Law (see Disqualifying Offenses).

Volunteering is a privilege, not a right. Even if a volunteer has obtained the required background clearances, the USCAA retains the right to exercise discretion in permitting the individual to serve as a volunteer.

Waiver of Federal Criminal History Record Check (Fingerprint)

A volunteer may NOT have to submit the Federal Criminal History Record (Fingerprint) if the volunteer submits a sworn affidavit (in the form of the Volunteer Request for Waiver of FBI – Federal Criminal History Record Check affirming that the volunteer:

a. Has been a resident of the Commonwealth of PA for the entirety of the previous ten (10) years; and

b. Has never been convicted of a Disqualifying Offense in PA or any other state or jurisdiction, including foreign jurisdictions.

Cost of Clearances

The costs of obtaining the required clearances shall be the responsibility of the volunteer.

Volunteers required to obtain clearances may apply to the USCAA for reimbursement of the cost of the clearances if financial hardship can be established and obtains approval by the President of the USCAA.

Age/Renewal of Clearances

When first submitted, the clearances cannot be more than thirty-six (36) months old. After the first submission, clearances must be updated every sixty (60) months from the oldest date on the clearances.

Duty to Notify

If, after the date of the clearances, the volunteer is arrested or convicted of a Disqualifying Offense, or named as a perpetrator of a founded report of child abuse, the volunteer must provide written notice to the office of the School District Director of Human Resources within seventy-two (72) hours of the arrest or conviction.

Willful failure to do so has criminal implications and may jeopardize your ability to volunteer. Please notify the Mr. Ray Carson, Director of Human Resources, at [email protected] or 412-833-1600 ext. 2063.

Early Renewal Right

If the USCAA has a reasonable belief that a volunteer has been arrested or convicted of a Disqualifying Offense or was named a perpetrator in a founded report of child abuse or the volunteer has given notice of an arrest or conviction of a Disqualifying Offense, the USCAA, at its expense, shall immediately require the volunteer to submit updated clearances.

Disqualifying Offenses

1. Ever convicted of an offense similar in nature to the following crimes, under the laws or former laws of the United States or one of its territories or possessions, another state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a foreign national, or under a former law of Pennsylvania:

a. Criminal homicide
b. Aggravated assault
c. Stalking
d. Kidnapping
e. Unlawful Restraint
f. Rape
g. Statutory sexual assault
h. Sexual assault
i. Involuntary deviate sexual intercourse
j. Aggravated indecent assault
k. Indecent assault
l. Indecent exposure
m. Incest
n. Concealing the death of a child
o. Endangering the welfare of a child
p. Dealing in infant children
q. Prostitution and related offenses
r. Crimes related to obscene and other sexual materials and performances
s. Corruption of minors
t. Sexual abuse of children

2. Ever named as the perpetrator of a founded report of child abuse; OR

3. WITHIN THE 5-YEAR PERIOD IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING, convicted of a felony offense under The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act.

4. The USCAA will retain the right to use reasonable judgement concerning convictions of all crimes when determining an individual’s appropriateness for a volunteer position.

If you have any questions or concerns about volunteer clearances, please contact: [email protected]


 

Contact

Upper St. Clair Athletic Association

P.O. Box 12551 
Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania 15241

Email: [email protected]

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