Volunteer Police Information Check Program

The Volunteer Police Information Check Program is a three-year pilot project that began on April 8, 2009. The program reimburses police agencies for the costs of conducting police information checks for volunteers in positions of trust and authority with at-risk populations such as children, seniors and people with disabilities.

The program, which is helping to achieve the goals of the Alberta Non-Profit Voluntary Sector Initiative, will be administered in collaboration with Volunteer Alberta and will enable non-profit organizations to direct more funding towards core programs and services that benefit Albertans.

Volunteer Alberta will assess the eligibility of non-profit/voluntary sector organizations and assign eligible organizations with a Volunteer Organization Authorization Number (VOAN). These organizations will present their unique VOAN to their local police agency when requesting a police information check for an eligible volunteer. The police agency will not charge a fee for obtaining a police information check to organizations with a valid VOAN. Culture and Community Spirit will reimburse the police agency $15 for each eligible police information check provided.

Eligibility

The program will cover the costs of conducting police information checks for non-profit/voluntary sector organizations meeting the following three criteria:

  1. The organization must perform a community service in Alberta;
  2. The organization must be a registered non-profit organization under the Alberta Societies Act, the Alberta Business Corporations Act, Part 9 of the Alberta Companies Act, or a Special Act of the Alberta Legislature; and
  3. The services provided by the organization involves volunteers in eligible circumstances.

Eligible circumstances

Volunteers in eligible circumstances are those who engage in volunteerism with individuals who are at a greater risk of being harmed than the general population because of:

For questions regarding eligibility, please contact Volunteer Alberta directly:

Ph: 1-877-915-6336

Email: voan@volunteeralberta.ab.ca
  • age (those under age 18, and those 65 years of age and older); or
  • disability (including a physical or mental disability, or a mental illness);

And the individuals the volunteer engages with are:

  • in a position of dependence on others; or
  • in the care of persons in a position of authority or trust relative to them.

Funding for the $2.4-million, three-year Volunteer Police Information Check Program is being provided through the Alberta government’s Safe Communities Secretariat. Additional details on the program, including how to apply, can be found at www.volunteeralberta.ab.ca.

Information for police agencies

When presented with a Police Information Check Request Form that has a VOAN, police agencies should record:

  • the date of the request,
  • the name of the requesting organization,
  • the corresponding VOAN number; and
  • the number of police information checks being requested under that VOAN.

Culture and Community Spirit will reimburse police agencies $15 for every police information check processed with a VOAN. Invoices should be submitted quarterly on April 1, July 1, October 1 and January 2 each year.

Please mail or fax invoices to:

Culture and Community Spirit
Voluntary Sector Services Branch

Volunteer Police Information Check Program
907, Standard Life Centre
10405 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5J 4R7

Fax: 780-427 4155
(Att: Laurie Kolada)

For questions pertaining to invoicing, please contact Laurie Kolada at 780-422-2203 (dial 310-0000 for toll-free access) or by email:laurie.kolada@gov.ab.ca

Example of Invoice