Thank you so much for volunteering to help with our Children and/or Youth Ministries.  We would not be able to run our regular programming without committed, caring adults.  But we also have a big responsiblity to protect and provide the best environment for our children (birth-18yrs of age).  All Adults volunteering in any capacity with children must complete and submit clearances to be kept on file here at West Lawn UMC.  This is true for someone who helps on a consistent basis or someone who just helps one night of VBS.  You will not be allowed to be apart of a Children's or Youth Ministry Event/Program until your clearances are on file with the church Finance Manager.  

All Volunteers will need to complete this process every 5 years to keep their clearances updated as per West Lawn UMC Safe Sancuary Policy & PA State Law.

There are several choices for getting your clearance paperwork to West Lawn UMC:

1. If you are employed in a job that requires clearances, e.g. school district, you can bring copies of your clearances to church, (Attn: Finance Manager) and then you'll need do nothing further. Your clearances just need to be dated within 5 years.  If the copies you have are older than that, please follow one of the choices below.  
2. If you are computer savvy you may get the clearances online by clicking the "Online Clearance Form" button below.   These will be sent directly to the Finance Manager, and gives an extra level of privacy/security with personal information.  No other WLUMC employee will view the paperwork if you fill them out directly through that link.  
3.  You can email Finance@westlawnumc.org to receive paper copies.  You'll need to fill out these forms and return them to the finance manager.  He/she will then run the clearances and provide you with a copy.  

Some notes:

1. Clearances are valid for 5 years. If you are providing copies from your place of employment or ones you've got from other volunteer opportunities, the clearances must be within the last 5 years.  They will need to be updated every 5 years. 
2. Copies of clearances need to be given to our Finance Manager to be kept in the locked office for our files.  An Adult can’t just say they have gotten the clearances and they are clear.   Our office needs the actual copy. 
3. Volunteer clearances are not the same as employee clearances and the forms are marked differently. Volunteer clearances are free and only include the PA State Police Record Check and the PA Child Abuse History.   But if you have an Employment clearance it does still count as a valid clearance for our volunteer purposes.  The only exception is if the volunteer has lived outside of PA (i.e. live in a residence outside of PA, not just visited)  in the last 10 years, in which case the Finance Manager will speak to you about  getting a FBI Record Check (fingerprints).