Home DIOCESE OF ALLENTOWN BACKGROUND CHECK Employees:       All existing employees should have completed the state police criminal history check and the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare child abuse check.       All new employees should be processed by the hiring location through the USIS/HireRight program via internet access for their background check.  Also, a Pennsylvania child abuse form should be completed and forwarded to the Human Resources Department at the Temporal Affairs office for processing.      As of April 1, 2007, Act 114 of 2006 Section 111 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Code was amended so that all new SCHOOL employees (including but not limited to administrators, teachers, substitutes, janitors, cafeteria workers, office employees and student teachers) must also provide a Federal Criminal History Record that cannot be more than one (1) year old.  The federal criminal history record is a fingerprint-based background check.  The applicant must register with Cogent Systems before being fingerprinted either online at https://www.pa.cogentid.com or by telephone at 1-888-439-2486.  Registration involves collecting pertinent demographic information from each applicant.  Payment of $36 may be made online at the time or registration using a debit or credit card.  Payment may also be made with a money order or cashiers check at the fingerprint location.  Cash and personal checks will not be accepted as payment.             At the time of registration, the applicant will be given the opportunity to request a paper copy of the results for an additional $2. This is the only opportunity the applicant will be given to request a paper copy of the results. Also during the registration process, the applicant will be prompted to give permission to the applicable School Administrator at the Diocese of Allentown to view the results of the Criminal History Record Information (CHRI). The applicant then must visit a fingerprint collection site.              Location of fingerprint sites and days and hours of operation for each site are posted on Cogent Systems’ website at www.pa.cogentid.com. The location of fingerprint sites may change over time; applicants are encouraged to confirm the site location nearest to them. At the chosen fingerprint site, the applicant will be required to produce a qualified State or Federal photo ID. A list of the approved ID types may be found on Cogent Systems’ website. Applicants will not be processed if they cannot produce an acceptable photo ID. Once the applicant has furnished acceptable identification and their identity has been verified, all ten of the applicant’s fingers will be scanned; this process should not take more than five minutes. The applicant’s scanned fingerprints will then be electronically transmitted to the FBI by Cogent Systems. The FBI will then generate the CHRI and will electronically transmit it to Cogent Systems, where the CHRI will be stored in a secure server.             The prospective school employee is responsible for reporting the reservation number provided to them by Cogent Systems to the Assistant Superintendent of Personnel for the Secretariat for Catholic Education. The Assistant Superintendent will then make a determination as to the fitness of the applicant to work in the position for which they are applying in relation to the contact they will have with children. A printed copy of the CHRI will be mailed to the applicant at the address they provided to Cogent Systems during the registration process. If the applicant is hired, the Assistant Superintendent of Personnel for the Secretariat for Catholic Education will print out a copy of the CHRI and keep it in the school’s personnel files. Volunteers:       All volunteers who are reasonably expected to come intocontact with children should be processed by the location through the USIS/HireRight program via internet access for their background check.   This includes, but is not limited to, the following volunteer positions: Cafeteria Worker, CCD/PREP Director, Coordinator or Teacher, CYO Coach, Day Care, Pre-school or Extended Care Staff, Boy Scout Leader or Staff, school or teacher assistant, youth minister or youth group advisor. To view complete Volunteer Background Check policy: Click Here To view complete USIS Processing Procedures: Click Here To view Lay Employee / Volunteer Background Check Authorization Form: Click Here To view Background Check and Child Abuse Check Frequently Asked Questions: Click Here   Post Office Box F  •  Allentown, PA  •  18105-1538 Copyright 2003 The Catholic Diocese of Allentown Disclaimer and Terms of Use