What is Training?
Training programs are offered to staff at least annually to heighten awareness of your commitment to safety and help create a culture of…
Home / Screening & Hiring / What is Screening and Hiring?
Finding staff and volunteers you can trust to work with children includes additional steps beyond interviewing and checking references. Additional screening, such as conducting criminal and sexual offense background checks, can help your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) maintain a high standard of safety for all personnel.
At minimum, your Screening and Hiring should include:
Written application and signed Statement of Suitability. Utilize written applications to assess candidates’ fit with your organization. Include a Statement of Suitability that asks them to confirm with their signature that all answers on the application are true, no information was withheld, and that there is nothing in their background that would prevent them from working safely with children.
Comprehensive personal interview and reference checks. Use interviews and reference checks to screen each applicant for their appropriateness to work with children and their ability to follow the policies at your organization. Utilize references to learn more about the applicant and obtain verification of their work history.
State criminal records check and national criminal background checks at hire and periodically (recommended). Employ background checks for both in-state and national records. The Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) is used in Massachusetts. Not all criminal offenses disqualify applicants from working with children. Consult the appropriate agencies and resources to determine what is acceptable for staff and volunteers at your organization.
State sexual offender registry check and national sexual offense background checks at hire and periodically (recommended). Employ checks to both state and national sex-offender registries. The National Sex-Offender Public Website (NSOPW) may provide additional detail from other states not contained in a Sexual Offender Registry Information (SORI) check.
Consider national and state DCF child abuse registry checks. Certain employers can also apply for a check for the DCF-maintained Central Registry to determine if applicants’ names are listed. This check will require a “Department of Children and Families (DCF) History Consent and Acknowledgement Form” and a signature from each applicant.
Utilizing the application process can help your organization maintain a high standard of safety through gathering information on potential staff and volunteers. While background checks may not identify everyone at risk, integrating this as part of your hiring and screening process at your YSO sets the tone of expectation that child safety is a priority for your organization.
Page Break
Training
Training programs are offered to staff at least annually to heighten awareness of your commitment to safety and help create a culture of…
Safe Environments
Safe Environment Strategies: Access Complementing the physical aspects of safety are the procedural aspects of safety and security, and how…
Training
The approaches in the chart below can provide frameworks that make your organization most effective when training adults and/or children/youth….
Screening & Hiring
When possible, it can be informative to observe an applicant in your environment with the child(ren) and youth you serve, to look for potential red…
Monitoring Behavior
Develop a culture of child safety at your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) using your Monitoring Behavior protocol that includes leadership-driven…
Training
Training for Different Audiences Training programs designed to prevent child sexual abuse take many forms and contain varying levels of detail,…
Screening & Hiring
Start with Basic Screening It is very important that all applicants who provide direct services and who are seeking positions of trust—either…
Safe Environments
Standards should be implemented to ensure safe physical spaces for children, such as clear sight–lines and visitor procedures. To ensure child…
Reporting
When a member of your staff suspects that a child is being abused and/or neglected, they are required to immediately call your local Department of…
Reporting
All staff must be aware of the warning signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect, know how to respond appropriately, and report suspected cases…
Customized child sexual abuse prevention guidelines to meet the unique needs of any organization that serves children.
Safe Kids Thrive is managed by the Children's Trust of Massachusetts
Learning Center Registration
Sign up for an account and start your learning experience.
Free Online Assessment
Let us help you find out where to start.