COLCA Volunteer Process
Our school has an important new requirement for all volunteers. According to a new Florida law (Senate Bill 676), all volunteers must now have a Level 2 background check. This means that any parent who wishes to volunteer at the school or attend field trips must have this background check on file. Once completed, a Level 2 background check is valid for five years.
The previous process we had in place for background checks no longer qualifies. You must have the new process completed in order to participate as a school volunteer or chaperone.
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There are two options available for parents. Please carefully read through the options below and the steps to complete.
OPTION 1: You already have a Level 2 background check
If you have already had a Level 2 or higher background check within the past five years, we may be able to use the results.
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To do this, please complete and return a Consent Form to the school. You may drop it off at the front office or email it to frontoffice@colca.education. A member of our staff who is approved by the Clearinghouse will then be able to access your existing background check and submit it through the FL DOE Private Schools Clearinghouse. Once your background check is submitted, the Consent Form will be shredded.
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No cost is associated with this option.
OPTION 2: You need a new Level 2 background check
Please follow exactly to avoid any delays:​
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Register on the CHAI Portal clearinghouse state site - https://chai.flclearinghouse.com/.
Initiate a screening and answer the state's questions. Once it asks what type of job you're doing, stop there and exit. We select that you're a volunteer on our end.
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Once you have completed the process, fill out and return this Consent Form to the school. You may drop it off at the front office or email it to frontoffice@colca.education.
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You will be sent a form via email that you need to take to your fingerprint appointment. You can show the form on your phone to the technician who fingerprints you.
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Book a time slot that works in your schedule with the technician from the 9 available locations in Orange and Osceola counties. This team can usually meet you in a public location, such as libraries, childcare centers, or coffee shops, on a required appointment basis. Visit here to schedule an appointment - https://www.accessfloridafingerprints.com/
Bring your government IDs and a form of payment (debit/credit or cash) to pay the $94 background check fees, processing, sales tax, and clearance retention. You will receive a statewide clearance for a period of 5 years.
We will let you know when your clearance posts. You can also log back into that chai portal, about 48 hours after you're done being fingerprinted to see your personal completion status.
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Results can take up to 5 business days to process and receive a response. Once we receive the results and you are cleared, we will add your name to our list of approved volunteers.
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Please note: It is important that you follow the process outlined above. If for any reason, there is an error with the submission that prevents us from accessing the results, you will be responsible for rescreening and paying for the background check again.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
Please allow plenty of time for the background check to be processed before any event or field trip you wish to attend. We cannot guarantee that results will be returned in time if you wait until the last minute. If we do not have your background check results before an event, you will not be allowed to attend with the school group.
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Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work to ensure the safety of our students.