Screening Youth Volunteers

Until recently, being an interested, warm body was the main criteria for accepting an adult as a volunteer in Extension 4-H youth development programs. In Fall 1989, Washington State Cooperative Extension implemented a more stringent volunteer screening process.1 Three reasons precipitated this action:

1. A 1988 Washington State law allowed the Washington State Patrol to conduct free criminal conviction checks on volunteers working directly with children.

2. The university attorney general advised Extension administration to design screening procedures to lessen the risk of unwanted lawsuits.

3. Some Extension volunteers and faculty felt measures to help ensure a safe environment for youth in Extension programs were needed.

In September 1988, Extension administrators gave the charge of developing screening procedures for all Extension programs involving youth to the 4-H Volunteer Development Committee. A literature search on screening procedures revealed three steps to successfully screen volunteers: application, interview, and contract.2

The Washington State Cooperative Extension decided on these minimal requirements:

• All volunteers interested in working with youth in Extension programs will complete an application form, including a criminal history disclosure form.
• All new organizational club leaders will be interviewed.
• Reference checks are optional, but highly recommended.

County faculty developed management procedures that would work best for them, depending on the number of new volunteers and the number of county faculty and support staff. Many county faculty decided to interview all new volunteers and most decided to conduct reference checks. They were encouraged to develop a written policy of procedures, including who will have access to the confidential files, and keep records as long as the individuals are Extension volunteers.

County faculty were given a chance to review the procedures and forms and offer suggestions. Ninety minutes of training were provided to each county Extension office over a satellite system. Training included philosophy statements by the state 4-H leader, an explanation of the procedures and forms by a state 4-H specialist, comments by a county Extension agent on management procedures, and legal and philosophical information from the Washington State University attorney general.

In Spring 1990, a mail survey asked Extension agents in 40 Washington counties about the process. Of the 32 respondents, two said that the process had "not worked very well," 10 answered "okay," 15 "well," and five "very well." Agents liked receiving the necessary forms from the state Extension bulletin office and the 10-day or less turn around time for the Washington State Patrol to conduct the conviction check.

Some county faculty felt the screening process should be expanded to include all leaders, not just new applicants. Recommendations were made to develop a program to train volunteers to conduct the interviews and reference checks. Some recommended expanding the screening to include checks on individuals coming to Washington from other states and checking for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) convictions.

Washington is in the second year of using a statewide screening process and firmly believes that having an Extension volunteer screening process says that Extension cares about the safety of the children and youth participating in its programs.

1. A copy of the 1991 revised forms and procedures is available from the author.

2. Nancy Macduff, "Three Steps to Successful Screening of Volunteers," Voluntary Action Leadership , IV (Fall/Winter 1987), 26-27.