CHAPTER 6: SCREENING, INTERVIEWING,AND
PLACING VOLUNTEERS
Before working in a Head Start program, volunteers should: |
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The volunteer coordinator is responsible for establishing a system
to screen, interview, and select volunteers. As discussed in Chapter 1,
this should be done with the help and approval of the policy council or
a volunteer advisory committee. The system should be established and put
in writing as part of the volunteer plan before recruitment activities
begin.
In this chapter, sections on screening volunteers are presented before the section on interviewing volunteers. However, some programs choose to interview everyone first and then screen them. The order of these tasks can be tailored to individual programs--the important thing is to include both tasks in the process.
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Each potential volunteer should complete an application to work in
the program. A sample application is shown on the following page.
- Applicant's name, address, and work and home phone numbers
- Applicant's occupation, work hours, and employer
- Applicant's particular skills, interests, or services that
could be used in the program (for example, typing or word processing skills,
previous child care experience, knowledge of a second language, possession
of a driver's license, ability to play a musical instrument, etc.)
- Applicant's volunteer interests
- Time(s) applicant is available for volunteering
- Whether the applicant is seeking a short-term, task specific
commitment or long-term involvement
- Whether or not the applicant has a child in the program
- Whether or not the applicant needs child care arrangements
or transportation. A sample volunteer application is shown on the following
page.
Programs handle the application procedure in various ways. Some programs require the applicant to fill out a checklist or questionnaire in addition to the application. Some require an infernos interview when the applicant turns in the application. Staff should use the procedure that works best for their program.
Volunteer applications should include the following:
Head Start policy requires health and other screenings for volunteers and staff. These screenings are to protect the children in the program.
Some States have additional screening regulations for those working in early childhood programs or in food service. Head Start staff should check with their State licensing agencies to ensure that their program meets these requirements.
Federal policy states that everyone who volunteers regularly in a Head Start classroom must have a tuberculin test. Federal policy also requires that staff and volunteers with communicable diseases not have contact with children.
Programs should check State and Federal policies regarding volunteers or children with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), or AIDS-Related Complex (ARC). The June 1988 ACYF Information Memorandum 88-17, "AIDS," may be helpful to programs that are establishing or revising these policies.
The health advisory committee may be used to suggest health screenings and procedures that the program will require for volunteers. This information should be included in the volunteer plan and the volunteer handbook.
SCREENING FOR HISTORY OF CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT
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Screening volunteers for any child abuse or neglect history can be difficult. Many States require that any person working regularly with children undergo a criminal record clearance. These clearances can be expensive, and neither volunteers nor programs may be able to afford them. Also, screenings may not necessarily reveal a past history of criminal conduct.
- Rules requiring that two adults, including one Head Start paid staff member, are always present with a child. Children are never left alone and never sent anywhere in the building by themselves.
- Volunteers, including parents, sign statements that they have never been charged with child abuse or neglect.
- Volunteers provide at least three references, which are checked carefully.
- Rules regarding the treatment of children are reviewed carefully with all volunteers when they enter the program.
Programs cannot guarantee the absolute safety of children, but they can establish some safeguards. Head Start programs have developed several strategies to ensure the safety of children, especially in the absence of Federal policy and State licensing requirements for volunteers. Many programs have the same standards for paid staff. Some of the safeguards that programs have established include the following:
INTERVIEWS
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No one should work or volunteer in a Head Start program without first being screened and interviewed. Volunteers may be interviewed by one or two staff persons (for example, the volunteer coordinator, the staff person who will supervise the volunteer, the center director, or the Head Start director).
- The candidate's experience with children, if the position involves working with children
- The candidate's experience with activities similar to those included in the position description
- How the candidate might respond to a typical occurrence in the program (which one of the interviewers would first describe for the candidate)
- Why the candidate wants to volunteer for the program.
No one volunteers just to volunteer—everyone has a personal motivation, and it is important to know what it is. Candidates' reasons for wanting to volunteer may vary from "gaining work experience" to "making new friends." Knowing a volunteer's motivation helps staff make a placement with which the volunteer will be happy.
For one reason or another, some applicants will not be appropriate for the Head Start program. Keeping a file of other agencies that might need the skills of these applicants helps the applicants accomplish their goals while providing a positive image of the Head Start program. It also encourages other agencies to refer volunteers to the Head Start program.
All interviews should begin with introductions of those present and a brief description of the volunteer activity. The volunteer job description may be useful for this. Staff may use a list of written questions or a more open-ended approach to assess the candidate's concern for children and determine whether the candidate is reliable and able to perform the tasks assigned.
Staff may ask the candidate about the following:
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After a volunteer has been accepted, the volunteer coordinator places the volunteer in an appropriate position, taking into consideration the volunteer's desires and skills. Proper placement will ensure that the volunteer stays with the program and perceives the program in a positive manner.
Some volunteers will be more interested in working on a long-term project; others will want a specific task that can be completed in a short time. Some will want to be involved with other people; others will prefer working alone. Some will be comfortable working with children; others will prefer not to be in a classroom setting. There are enough possibilities in a Head Start program to accommodate all these preferences.
Some volunteers may not realize the skills they do have and will need encouragement to try something new. Many parents volunteering for the first time in a classroom are surprised to discover that they can teach, too.
WRITTEN AGREEMENTS
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Staff should prepare a written agreement for each volunteer. The written agreement explains clearly the volunteer's role in the Head Start program and the kinds of work that the volunteer will perform. It also formalizes the commitment made by both the volunteer and the program.
- A description of the volunteer's position
- The times and dates that the volunteer will work
- The name of the person who will supervise the volunteer
- A statement that the volunteer will undergo health or other screenings stipulated by Federal or State policy or in the program grant
- A statement that the volunteer has received the program's volunteer handbook
- A statement that the volunteer will attend inservice sessions as appropriate
- A description of the program's confidentiality policy
- The amount of in-kind dollars generated per hour by the volunteer activity (volunteer professionals should sign statements verifying their hourly rates)
- The signatures of the volunteer and the volunteer coordinator or program director.
Programs may want to add other statements to the written agreement. For example, some programs may want to include a statement that the volunteer has not been convicted of child abuse or neglect. Programs should be in compliance with afl State and Federal regulations regarding this issue.
As with other contractual or written agreements, the agency lawyer should review at least the basic format and standard clauses in the agreement.
All community volunteers should sign written agreements before working with the program. If a parent is reluctant to commit to volunteering by signing the agreement, staff should encourage the parent to continue coming to the program when possible.
All parts of the written agreement should be reviewed verbally with volunteers prior to signing it. The volunteer, the volunteer coordinator, and the fiscal officer each keep a copy of the signed written agreement.
The written agreement should include the following:
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Policy references related to screening, interviewing, and placing volunteers may be found in the following section of the publication, Head Start Policies: Volunteers and Community Resources:
Section 4: Screening Volunteers
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Required Documentation: Verification of volunteer screenings Recommended Documentation: Completed volunteer applications Verification of applicants' freedom from conviction for child abuse or neglect Documentation of interviews Verification of date and location of placements and supervisors assigned Written agreements signed by both parties |