Recruitment of Volunteers Policy Number and Last Update
(01.05.03/01-2011)
Volunteers shall be recruited from all sections of the communities to include all social, ethnic, and religious groups spanning all economic and educational levels.
Volunteers must be 16 year and over.
Included among the groups from which volunteers may be sought are:
- Parents
- Former parents
- Senior citizens
- Organized volunteer groups
- Church groups, and other organizations
- Individuals with disabilities
- Professionals and para-professionals
Migrant Head Start requires an application form for volunteers to be completed prior to volunteering, for those who volunteer on a regular basis. Volunteers may be reimbursed for legitimate expenses incurred in the performance of their duties such as mileage, meals or per diem (if overnight travel is involved). Reimbursement of legitimate expenses must have approval of the agency's director prior to the delivery of services rendered. Reimbursement will be based on the individual agency's policy for the particular expense.
Screening and reference checks of persons applying to serve as a regular volunteer in the center shall be done by the director. This shall include contacting the applicant's employer(s) for the past six years (delegates can determine number of years) to determine his/her suitability for childcare services and a minimum of two personal reference checks.
Regular volunteers in the center shall meet agency and state licensing personnel and staff requirements for the position they are filling. All persons who apply for volunteer services may not be needed due to maintaining a proper balance of adults in the classroom.
No parent shall be required, pressured, or coerced to perform any free services for the program.
TRAINING OF VOLUNTEERS
Orientation for volunteers shall be provided by the director, or designated staff. During this training, volunteers shall be informed of lines of supervision in addition to basic regulations regarding their assignments.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Volunteers should be expected to maintain the same standards of confidentiality, and be subject to the same prohibitions concerning disclosure of information as salaried employees.
LIABILITY AND HEALTH ASSURANCE OF THE VOLUNTEER SERVICES COMPONENT
Adequate liability insurance shall be provided for all volunteers during Head Start activities. Volunteers who have regular contact with the children are required to have a TB skin test. All volunteers' health clearances shall be kept on file.
DOCUMENTATION OF VOLUNTEER SERVICES
Keep on file a form signed by both the volunteer and his or her supervisor recording the date, hours, and kind of services provided. This includes the assignment of the appropriate rate from the agency's scale of volunteer rates, the calculation of the cash value of the volunteer service, and the entrance of this amount into the agency's system of accounts.
