Background Check Policy

Effective 9/1/2024 all Dream Performing Arts Academy (DPAA) employees, contractors, and volunteers who stay overnight at camp or on tour must have background checks completed.

All employees, contractors and volunteers with DPAA are required to undergo a background check before being hired as an employee or retained as a contractor or volunteer with DPAA. Any background check that is not completely clear when reviewed by the assigned DPAA staff person, must be reviewed by the Compliance Officer, Shari Kuzel at shari@dreampaa.org, so a determination can be made regarding the DPAA involvement of that individual.

Effective September 1, 2024, background checks must be conducted annually going forward.

The following background check clearances are required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and by GSPAA:

  1. New Jersey State Police Criminal History Report
  2. New Jersey Division of Human Services Child Abuse History Report
  3. FBI Fingerprint search for prior arrests

The following employees, contractors and volunteers are required to submit to the following background checks:

  • DPAA employees: NJ State Police Criminal History Report, NJ Division of Human Services Child Abuse History Report, FBI Fingerprint search.
  • DPAA contractors: If NJ resident or working in NJ at any time ‐ NJ State Police Criminal History Report, NJ Division of Human Services Child Abuse History Report, FBI Fingerprint search; If non‐NJ resident and not working at all in NJ – FBI Fingerprint search only.
  • DPAA volunteers who stay overnight at camp or on tour: If NJ resident or working in NJ at any time ‐ NJ State Police Criminal History Report, NJ Division of Human Services Child Abuse History Report, FBI Fingerprint search; If non‐NJ resident and not working at all in NJ – FBI Fingerprint search only; International volunteers must provide a home country national background check clearance.
  • Day or partial day volunteers: background checks not required since these people are not responsible for supervising youth and are not in direct contact with them.

Background checks are not conducted on any DPAA youth program participants such as members, since this is the population DPAA serves, and background checks on these individuals are not required by the State of New Jersey.

Background checks are at the expense of DPAA for employees and contractors, and background check fee receipts may be submitted to DPAA for reimbursement. Volunteers are asked to cover the cost of their background checks.

Please see the Background Check Instructions document for further information on the steps to follow to complete your background checks and file the appropriate documentation with DPAA.

Action Criteria

The Compliance Officer shall have the right to allow, reject, or limit an employee, independent contractor, or volunteer based on the information obtained from the background investigation.

  • A person will be disqualified from employment or work as a contractor or volunteer for DPAA based on the following:
    A felony or misdemeanor conviction of any violent crime within the past 10 years.
  • Felony or misdemeanor conviction of any sex‐based crime.
  • Felony conviction of any non‐violent crime or drug‐related crime within the past 10 years.

Any reported convictions that fall outside the scope of the categories identified above shall be evaluated by the Compliance Officer on a case‐by‐case basis.
An employee, independent contractor, or volunteer who has had their participation rejected may appeal the decision with the DPAA Board of Directors.