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Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland (GSKH) is committed to providing a safe and quality program for girls as they participate in Girl Scouts. In order to safeguard the girls in our care, criminal background checks will be conducted for all employees and specified volunteers. The criminal background check is a component of GSKH’s employee and volunteer placement procedure. The background check includes criminal records searches of convictions, arrests, court records, inmate records and offender registries. Credit checks and motor vehicle records checks will not be done for volunteers. Motor vehicle records will be conducted for employees.
Once you have submitted your name, former names(s), permanent address, social security number, and date of birth through the secure online portal, the information is sent directly to Sterling Volunteers. Providing false information, including, but not limited to, social security number and date of birth, may be considered justification for non-acceptance of or dismissal from a volunteer position. The social security number on the criminal history records check shall be used for no other purpose than to make the process for conducting a background search more accurate. The results of the background check will be sent to the Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland Director of Human Resources (HR).
Disqualification from Volunteer Participation or Employment
The decision to exclude or limit an individual’s participation as a volunteer or paid staff member is solely within the discretion of Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland, Inc.
Convicted felons are prohibited from serving as Girl Scout leaders, co-leaders, troop committee members or council employees. Factors to be considered regarding misdemeanor convictions include, but are not limited to, the nature and severity of the crime and the length of time since the criminal conduct occurred. On a case-by-case basis, the council may permit or deny the application of a person convicted of a misdemeanor.
A registered sex offender is not allowed to be a Girl Scout staff member or leader, co-leader, troop committee member or other volunteer as deemed appropriate. A person who has been found, as a juvenile, to have committed an offense that if committed by an adult would have been a sex offense, is not eligible for volunteer service or employment with GSKH.
No one may be an employee of GSKH, a Girl Scout leader, co-leader or troop committee member if a member of their household is a registered offender or who has been found, as a juvenile, to have committed an offense that if committed by an adult would have been a registered offense. This applies regardless of the nature of the crime.
Background checks that find a criminal or sex offender conviction will be reviewed by the Director of HR. A letter of pre-adverse action with a copy of the report and the Summary of Rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) will be sent to the individual by certified mail or encrypted email. The individual will be asked to respond to the council. If the individual disagrees with the results of the check, they have thirty (30) days to dispute the results to Sterling Volunteers, who is the reporting source.
GSKH will rely upon the information contained in the criminal history report until a corrected report has been provided. After 10 days, the Director of HR will send the adverse action letter to the individual by certified mail or encrypted email. The staff member of the applicant/volunteer will be notified of a rejection with no confidential information shared.
Confidentiality
The council will maintain the confidentiality of all criminal background information, including information regarding disqualification decisions.
