A: No. To protect our volunteers’ information, we do not keep hard copies of the criminal background checks on file. Background checks also vary by agency so we ask all of our volunteers to complete our process. The process takes only a few minutes and is at no charge to you.
Volunteer background check FAQs
The safety and well-being of our girl members is of utmost importance to the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys. Parents/guardians and girls trust that Girl Scouts is a safe place for them and River Valleys does not take that trust lightly. We are committed to maintaining policies and procedures that create a safe environment for girls to discover, connect and take action.
Since River Valleys’ inception there has been a policy to conduct criminal background checks on new volunteers. Criminal background checks is one of the strategies used to ensure that girls are always in a safe and nurturing environment.
Criminal background checks are utilized by youth serving agencies throughout the country. In order to maintain compliance with youth serving agencies best practices, River Valleys will expand the background check policy by conducting checks on every volunteer every three years. This is consistent with Girl Scouts USA’s recommendations. This policy includes ALL volunteers who work with girls and includes volunteers who were appointed to a volunteer position prior to 2007. Between now and September 1, 2011 every River Valleys volunteer, regardless of your position, is required to complete our background check process. This also includes volunteers who completed a background check in the last program year. Subsequently every three years all volunteers will be asked to complete an updated background check.
The process is quick, easy, confidential and at NO COST to you. To complete your online background check by the September 1, 2011, deadline please visit the application process page.
