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New Zealand Anglicans push for childcare ID cards
Episcopal News Service
Issue:
Section:
2003-079-8
Posted: Thursday, April 10, 2003
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People who want to work with children should have to apply for a 'suitability card,' according to the Anglican Church in New Zealand. The photo ID card would be issued only after extensive criminal-history checks on applicants, including any charges, even if no conviction resulted. Queensland's system, operating since 2001, would be a model.
The Anglican Bishop of Wellington, Thomas Brown, has pushed the idea after discussing it with fellow bishops and he has raised it with government ministers. 'The idea appeals to me. It might be said it's a bit draconian to have people carting cards around, but I think that's far better than the Church--and perhaps other bodies--having to run its own vetting.'
The Queensland system covering child-related employment is administered by the state's Commission for Children and Young People, and it looks at whether an applicant has ever faced a charge or been convicted. A suitability notice is valid for two years and the fee can be paid by either the employee or the employer. The commissioner considers whether anything uncovered is relevant, and applicants rejected can appeal. New South Wales also runs a screening system.
People who would find the cards helpful ranged from parents seeking babysitters to Scout groups assessing volunteers.
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