I'm surprised this is new. They started it back in the nineties when I was volunteering. However, the school paid for it. Within the last five years they now require the volunteer to pay it.

Since the school requires parents to pay for the background check to volunteer, I think it's unreasonable to expect the school to pay for the background check for both parents in your family. If it's for medical reasons, they should only be required to pay for one.

You may have very legitimate reasons why both of you need to be able to go on different trips, but I don't think it's reasonable to expect the school to pick up the double cost.

Based on the cost it sounds like the check is the more in-depth check that is required here of all teachers, daycare workers, bus drivers, social workers etc. The parent /volunteer checks required by law here are usually less in-depth and cost much less involving basically running name Date of birth and idea numbers through certain databases.  Many districts with there own police forces have access to those and don't even hire these checks out they have someone authorized to do them and the district covers the cost. We professionals go through a much more in-depth process that cost about 50 dollars and includes full fingerprinting.

I have to say while I think they need to find ways to streamline and reduce/ absorb costs I fully support background checks for those in contact with children.  There are a lot of people out there I would be wary about in my kids school and I am willing to submit to a background check if it reduces the chances of one of them gaining contact to kids.

Monsters don't away look, sound, talk, or smell like a monster.

I agree that they should not be able to require you to pay.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  Please keep us posted.

We have always had to have a background check every year for schools, recreational sports, etc....  Any activity involving children.  We have never had to pay out of pocket for it.

I know from my heavy involvement in the schools, we had to fill out the forms every year, but the actual background check happens every 3 years so if you fill out a form and your check is still good, they don't run a background check.

I feel like the town should have to run one check for all volunteering and put that in a data base instead of each organization requiring you to file.

Perhaps your new state law involves running an actual check every single year and the school can not afford that?  Seems like a lot of money to require someone to pay when they are volunteering. 

What Mac said but find out first what they'll implement before assuming.  They may intend to exempt you or offer to pay.  Although it raises other issues such as must you submit to such a check based on your child's disability even if you don't pay for it.  Ask, explain, request an amendment for 504 and show for the record why.  The record is what will stand.

There are 3 separate checks that need to be done $10, $10, and $27.

I was going to say much the same thing as yellow--and also Tabi.  Our Houston area school had this for anyone who had contact with children ten years ago. 

Even if you do not volunteer, you have contact with children.

When we moved to Virginia and the parents who chaperoned kids in their rooms overnight for a DC trip were not checked, it freaked me out.  I was conditioned by our Houston experience (and by my experience for years at church teaching Sunday School). I was relieved when our Virginia district implemented it a few years ago. 

I will say that the Houston school checks were $5.  They were run through the Volunteer Center, which performed good checks (a nonprofit I worked for also used the Volunteer Center). 

Now, a parent should not have to have this financial  burden because of their child's disability, but 1) I am surprised it costs this much and 2) I do think that anyone who is in the room with the kids should have the check.

Probably.

Hmmmm. I wonder if this is the reason I now need to complete a child abuse course for my professional license, even though I treat no one under 18...

I live in your state. I also teach and coach here.

This is a state law that has changed as of this year. It is written in such a way that ANYONE who has contact with minors needs to have the background check.... that includes coaches, church groups, non-profit youth activities, ANYTHING. Basically if you are there and are breathing the same air as minors, you now have to get clearances.

I would try the tactic that the $100 is an undue burden placed on your family because of a disability, as you are only there for your child as per the 504, and that if you were not there because of a medical issue you would NOT be volunteering. Therefore, you have to pay this because of a disability. See if the district will pay for it since you HAVE to be there.

HOWEVER, as soon as you do ANYTHING to help with an event, you are then there a volunteer. Like don't even pick up a piece of trash. You cannot help. That *might* be the only way to get around the clearances. I would expect a LOT of blowback because this law is new and very stringent. Would be easier to get the district to reimburse you the $100 than try to fight the new regulation.

Also, with that law, everyone who interacts with kids is now considered a mandatory reporter for children''s services. Not just the teachers/paid coaches like it used to be. You volunteer for a bake sale, and a kid working the bake sale mentions something (abuse whatever), you now have to report it by law because you are "working" with kids. It is going to discourage parent volunteerism in the long run.

It's a big change in the law and is going to cost a lot of $$ for people to be involved. [spoiler]We are considering creating a fundraiser to pay for clearances via our band boosters account for parents who cannot afford the $100 fee per person.[/spoiler]

I am sorry about this. I will say most directs here have required this for years. Anyone who has contact with the children has to have a background check. I don't know if legally given the 504 they can force the issue or  not.

I would think raise it as a matter of business to amend the 504 or just keep attending citing that you're not there as a volunteer.  If they haven't asked you to pay to supervise your child out of medical need I'm not sure they even have you on that radar.  They may be responding to an event (as stated earlier by hedgehog) considering this is a sweeping change effective immediately.

The easiest response is you're not a volunteer.  See first if they are going to make this an issue.

Guess- I've done both, but frankly probably would not volunteer to run parties if I had to pay to join PTA and for clearances.

I guess in it's simplest form, my question is this- can they consider my coming in to keep my child safe volunteering?

Yes- hedgehog- that's how I feel about the after school program- huge liability.  I will never volunteer for that again!

Good point on the background check for DH- he does already have one (though not yearly....hmmm), so it might be just me.

As for the 504, DH is thinking that when it comes time to renew, they won't put the language in unless we have clearances.