Background Checks for HS Group Members?

[joannqn]

Has anyone been involved in a homeschool group that required background checks for all members upon request for membership? Did the decision to require these go over well? Did it scare away potential new families from joining? Did it increase group safety?

[SonshineLearner]

We were going to, but it was harder than I thought..... 2 adults at all times is the best idea, even with background checks, I think..

[TraciWA]

We had to because of the insurace that the facilities we used required it.

[mytwomonkeys]

i've never heard of such a thing. unless i was given an explanation that made sense, i would be taken back by such a request honestly. i've had one at my previous job a a social worker. i've had one to serve with children at church. those are obvious areas that i would need one though. but needing one to attend a homeschool group with my 2 homeschooled children doesn't seem to demand such information imo. if it's necessary to meet at a certain facility, i would want that information given to me simply to explain the reasoning behind it.

[WVNA]

Has anyone been involved in a homeschool group that required background checks for all members upon request for membership? Did the decision to require these go over well? Did it scare away potential new families from joining? Did it increase group safety?

 

No, and my personal opinion is that background checks wouldn't do much to prevent child abuse. The best policy for the kids and adults is to have a rule in place that an adult is never allowed to be alone with kids without another adult present.

 

Ask yourself this question. How many background checks do you think this guy went through - http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/us/07pedophile.html?

 

My son attends cub scouts and background checks are required of all adult leaders in addition to the two adult rule I mentioned above. After learning how this information is stored both by the scouts and the Catholic Diocese(since we meet at a Catholic Church), I was appalled. It's a case of identity theft waiting to happen.

[Dory]

In the schools Criminal Record Checks are only required if the adult will be with a child one on one. In group settings it's not a requirement. I think that same policy is probably a safe one to go by for Homeschool groups.

[Juniper]

Rules that make more sense to me: No adult alone with one child. No children alone together with more than a 3 yr age gap (although no children should be alone together anyway.) Basically, no 10 year olds corralling or watching 6yr olds, unsupervised. Open doors, baby gate in place if needed. Propped open doors in restrooms and adult stands outside restroom.

[ssavings]

Unless this was a co-op situation with classes I wouldn't see the point and frankly I'd never join a group that required it.

 

:iagree:

[WeeBeaks]

If I were teaching and alone with the kids as others mentioned, or in some type of leadership role where I would be alone with kids, I would give info for background check (and have through our church because I have taught), but just for members I think I wouldn't join the group. That is too intrusive just to belong to a group where the danger level is so very low for parents coming with their kids to a co-op.

[Guest]

My co-op requires background checks because the church we utilize requires them. I am completely in favor of them besides. There are classes and two adults are supposed to be in every class.

[QueenCat]

We had to because of the insurace that the facilities we used required it.

 

I've encountered this in a co-op before. It only applied to the parent who would be at co-op, so I only I had the background check, not dh.

[itsheresomewhere]

Like the sex offender register, they can only show if they have been caught. I wouldn't join a group if that was required.

[jar7709]

Unless this was a co-op situation with classes I wouldn't see the point and frankly I'd never join a group that required it. Not that I have anything to hide, but seriously I'd think the people were freaky and paranoid.

 

Yeah, me too. If it is a casual group based in homes or public parks, no. Frankly I would be a little offended. If it is more of a traditional co-op class set-up and/or needed for venue insurance purposes, that would be ok.

[Tammi K]

I always cringe a little when I hear about people so willing to have a background check done.

 

Irrespective of the ability or lack there of for a background check to actually catch all of the 'bad guys', consider this: Every time you fill out the forms for a background check, you expose very personal information about yourself to people you would probably not share with otherwise.

 

I, along with several other leaders, was required to complete one for Awana. Forms were filled out and turned in only to be told several months later that there was some problem and we would need to do it again. I just assumed the company processing the checks had some snafu.

 

A year later, while looking through a drawer in our church lobby, I can upon the folder with approx 20 completed background-check applications with any and all personal information anyone would need for someone to perpetrate massive identity fraud.

 

If you MUST have one done, be smart and careful with who sees your info. I'm just sayin'..........

[hsbeth]

We belong to two co-ops, both facilities that we meet in require that 2 adults be present with children at all times and strictly enforce this policy. I fully support that as it protective of the adults as well as the children. One of the co-ops also requires a background check and references because the facility that we meet at requires it. The background checks are done free of charge and are handled by the church staff. IOW even moms on the leadership and administrative team do not have access to the private information disclosed on the form. Because our facility is outstanding I have no problem with the background check although I'm not convinced it offers additional safety.

[Tammi K]

The background checks are done free of charge and are handled by the church staff. IOW even moms on the leadership and administrative team do not have access to the private information disclosed on the form.

 

Yeah, so were the forms we submitted! That didn't stop them from ending up in a publicly accessible cabinet a year later.

[MyThreeSons]

Our co-op just instituted background checks for folks who will be working with children. Since each family is required to put in a certain number of "volunteer" hours each year, this basically means each family needs to have one person checked. I haven't heard any negative consequences yet.

 

They did ask us to let them know if our church (or any other organization with which we are affiliated) had recently done a background check on us and could share it with them, perhaps saving some money.

[mom2hunangirls]

I think it must be a new requirement for insurance. I say that because this yr is the first year our group is asking and I know it has to do with facilities we use and possibly that it's a drop-off type of co-op.

[FairProspects]

My co-op requires background checks because the church we utilize requires them. I am completely in favor of them besides. There are classes and two adults are supposed to be in every class.

 

:iagree:Our co-op requires them and I'm glad. My dh works in Mental Health and I doubt he would want us to join a co-op that did not background check anyone who might have contact with children. It was his first question when checking out preschools years ago. While they don't completely prevent abuse, background checks do act as a deterrent for someone with previous issues looking for an opportunity. And believe me, many times they are looking.

Edited June 11, 2012 by FairProspects

[Ellie]

For a *support group*? :blink: I'm trying to imagine that and cannot.

 

Are you asking about a co-op or other teaching situation? I can see that, to a certain extent. But really, if you require two adults (teacher plus one other) in a classroom at all times, there shouldn't be a problem.

 

Personally, I wouldn't do it, if it involved taking all the adults' social security numbers. I'm opposed to that on principle. You can do a search on s*x offenders to see if any of the parents are on that list, which is about as much as I'd do.

 

And here's the thing: if people just stay home and teach their own children, it shouldn't be an issue at all. Just sayin'...:auto:

[LaxMom]

For a *support group*? :blink: I'm trying to imagine that and cannot.

 

Are you asking about a co-op or other teaching situation? I can see that, to a certain extent. But really, if you require two adults (teacher plus one other) in a classroom at all times, there shouldn't be a problem.

 

Personally, I wouldn't do it, if it involved taking all the adults' social security numbers. I'm opposed to that on principle. You can do a search on s*x offenders to see if any of the parents are on that list, which is about as much as I'd do.

 

And here's the thing: if people just stay home and teach their own children, it shouldn't be an issue at all. Just sayin'...:auto:

:iagree: The co-op we attended for several years did not have background checks; parents were required to be on the premises at all times, and there was no context for an adult to be one-on-one with a child unless it was their own.

[In The Great White North]

In the schools Criminal Record Checks are only required if the adult will be with a child one on one. In group settings it's not a requirement. I think that same policy is probably a safe one to go by for Homeschool groups.

 

 

Not around here. They do background checks on all employees.

[phathui5]

I have not been part of a homeschool group that asked parents to do background checks. I've done them at church and for work and didn't mind it.

[krisperry]

We do a general check - checking the sex offender registry and such. Nothing huge. Only started after we had a family try to join and the main parent bringing the kids was on the list.... Rather than single out a family, we passed a rule that all families must pass the check.

 

We do have a co-op with classes.

[catz]

In the schools Criminal Record Checks are only required if the adult will be with a child one on one. In group settings it's not a requirement. I think that same policy is probably a safe one to go by for Homeschool groups.

 

:iagree: Same policy applies for teaching or working with kids at our church. I can see it for a teaching situation if 1 adult is going to be alone with kids.