Volunteering

Hanover School Division appreciates the commitment of all who volunteer in our schools. With upwards of 3,000 volunteers across the division, we are grateful for the positive impact that volunteers have on our students. Volunteering reflects a community partnership that benefits all.

 
  • Eligibility
  • Application / Screening
  • FAQ

Effective September 2021, all volunteers in the Hanover School Division must complete a Child Abuse Registry Check (CAR) and an enhanced Police Information Check (PIC) sometimes referred to as a criminal records check.

The enhanced PIC includes the Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC). The VSC is intended for positions in which an individual has authority over, or trust of, children or vulnerable persons. Children are defined as being anyone under the age of 18. Vulnerable persons are people who, because of their age, disability, or other circumstance, are more vulnerable than others.

Note: HSD volunteers with a current/valid Child Abuse Registry Check (as listed in our database) will need to undergo a Police Information Check / Vulnerable Sector Check to retain their approved volunteer status.

Please contact your child’s school for details regarding the application/screening process. Application forms and instructions will be provided along with documentation. If you are interested in volunteering in our schools, please consider starting the application early, as Police Information Checks can take approximately six weeks to complete.

Note: There may be a fee applied by the RCMP for performing the PIC/VSC, but the full cost will be waived if the request is accompanied by an authorized form (obtained from your child’s school) verifying the sector check as a condition of volunteering in the Hanover School Division.

Am I able to start volunteering while I wait for my application/screening results?

No. As per board policy, volunteers can only start after all their required checks have been returned with a clear/negative status.

Once my volunteer application is approved, how long is it valid?

Police Information (Vulnerable Sector) and Child Abuse Registry Checks will be valid for 5 years, although an annual declaration will be required each year to maintain the valid status. If a year lapses with no annual declaration, your volunteer record will be removed from the HSD database. In this case, if you wish to volunteer in the future, you would need to complete all the forms and start the process over. For insurance reasons, as per Manitoba School Boards Association, Volunteer Driving applications are only valid for the current school year.

I have a background check through mybackgroundcheck.com or similar service, can I provide those to you instead of completing new forms?

No. HSD requires both a Police Information Check (Vulnerable Sector Check) as part of our screening. These must be completed directly by the RCMP.

I have a recent Police Information Check (Vulnerable Sector Check) completed by the RCMP. Can I provide those to you instead of completing new forms?

If you have a Police Information Check (Vulnerable Sector Check) results letter, which is no more than 12 months old, this may be acceptable. Please bring the original documents to the school for review. If accepted, you will still be required to complete the General Application, Child Abuse Registry, and Volunteer Driver forms. You will only be able to start volunteering once a clear Child Abuse Registry result is returned to HSD from the Provincial Agency.

I have a recent Child Abuse Registry Check, can I provide those to you instead of completing new forms?

No. HSD requires a new Child Abuse Registry Form to be completed and processed by our office directly.

Do I have to pay for my Police Information (Vulnerable Sector) or Child Abuse Registry Checks?

If you are volunteering, then no. Fees are waived for volunteer applications. In the case where you visit the RCMP office directly (St. Pierre Detachment areas), your school will provide a letter to waive the fees. If you are required to have these checks for non‐volunteer positions (such as piano teacher, paid coach, other employment within the school), then you would be required to pay the applicable fees.

Why would the RCMP indicate that I have to supply fingerprints with my application?

As part of the checks, if your name and/or date of birth match any record in their database, you may be required to supply fingerprints to confirm your identity. This is a normal part of the process for many people. Fingerprinting is currently only being processed in Winnipeg, and you will need an additional letter from the school to waive the fees.

I have a police record from a long time ago, will I be able to volunteer?

In the event that the Police Information Check is returned with information, the Superintendent’s Office would review and make a determination on whether the volunteer application is approved. In some cases, an interview with the applicant may be required.