I think in this day and age doing background checks on volunteers is a must.  When childre are involved I don't think there can be such a case as "going too far".  While most parents probably don't need to be background checked, it only takes the one to make it all worthwhile.  It's not invasive and it's not a big deal to have it done, and if you've nothing to hide then it shouldn't matter to you one way or the other.  Better to be safe, where our children are concerend, than not and be sorry for not running the background check.

I think a lot of churches are now doing background checks to on people volunteering in the children and youth programs.

I don't understand why any parent would be outraged at the school for wanting to protect their children.  I'm all for background checks.  Why would anyone be offended unless they have something to hide?

I think it is totally and completely necessary!!!   I practically want to do background checks on my neighbors before letting my kids go outside just because there are so many weirdos out there.  How could any parent not want to take steps to protect their child!  

I am all for it.

As a side note, I am a substitute teacher in my district. When I started, I was hired and given jobs, BEFORE my background check came back.

That was crazy to me.

I am all about background checks.  If you don't have anything to hide, why would you object? 

Kristyn, that's pretty frightening! I am surprised that the school would feel comfortable taking risks like that, since they'd be held accountable.  Wow!

My husband and I were background checked when our fifth grader first started kindergarten.  Since then, we've had another child start school there and we often volunteer and go on field trips and what-not.  The odd thing to me is that we aren't background checked yearly.  Things change.  How do they know that we haven't chosen a life of crime somewhere in there?

people are fooling themselves if they think other people are okay with volunteers being around their kids w/out background checks.  even with them...pedophiles are a whily type so always beware.

What bad could it possibly do?
It's a simple fingerprint scan (or at least ours is)

I wish the schools around my area would do more safety measures. Where my daughter used to go to school when we lived in  a different state they would run your drivers license through a scanner thing to check it that way then it would print out a sticker of your drivers license as a name tag my picture was pretty horrible looking for everyone to see when I was volunteering! but I liked the added security.

YES!  They should.  Here in NC, my county at least, it's a piece of paper you fill out telling where you have lived for the most recent 10 years of your life.  And, it's free!  So I don't know why people would have such a problem with it.  They aren't going to stop you from volunteering unless you have something REALLY bad on there anyways. 

Plus... in my opinion, the people who have the problems with it are the ones who probably are trying to HIDE something.   Anyone else agree with that?

leslie - i agree!  if they are "outraged" by ensuring the safety of ALL the children at the school...then, yeah...i don't want them at the school!!!

that is one piece of paper....of the THOUSANDS i receive with my three kids in school...that i am happy, happy, happy to fill out and sign!!!