Child Abuse Registry Policy

As the Minor Hockey Association/League/etc. you will be responsible for collecting the information and submitting it on behalf of your organization. The first step in doing so is to designate the individual you wish to handle this on behalf of your MHA/League. This can be the Registrar, President, or another designate.

They designated individual will then create an account with the Child Abuse Registry. This will allow you to submit the applications on behalf of your organization and to do so free of charge. An access request letter can be found HERE. Completed forms can be forwarded by email to: car@gov.mb.ca

Organizations will receive:

• A customized application form and access code
• An information package with detailed instructions on how to complete the form and most common reasons applications are returned
• Fee exemptions for non-paid positions; including volunteers or student trainees
• The result of the application will be returned to the organization. They cannot be shared with any other individual or organization; the subject does not receive a copy of the check.

All registered Team Officials (including but not limited to coaches, managers, safety people, etc.) are required to complete the application and submit it to their MHA/League before they can be placed on a roster. As the MHA/League representative, it is your responsibility to collect these applications prior to placing the individuals on the roster. Alternatively, if the individual has a copy of a Child Abuse Registry Check they have completed within the last year, this would also be acceptable. Individuals may be placed on the roster and be permitted to participate once the application has been received by the MHA/League, even if the results of said application have not yet been returned.

The organization is responsible for:

• Ensuring the subject of the check understands why the application is being requested.
• Completing the application in full including:
  • Verifying the subject’s identification; two pieces of valid government issued ID must be verified.
  • Submitting the form.
  • Record management, applications contain personal and confidential information. The MHA/League would be responsible for keeping track of this information.

If the results of the application are positive there is nothing further that needs to be done.

In some instances, the results will come back inconclusive. This would usually happen because there are multiple people with the same/similar name and birth date. At this point it is incumbent upon the individual to provide further documentation and/or information in order to have this clarified. This will need to be taken care of in a reasonable time frame in order for the individual to continue participating.

If there are negative results, the individual would have to be removed from participation. They would then have the option of appealing to Hockey Manitoba, as per the regulation. If they do not choose to appeal, they would not be permitted to continue.

An application will be provided to all Team Officials by the MHA.

All registered Team Officials (including but not limited to coaches, managers, safety people, etc.) are required to complete the application and submit it to their MHA/League before they can be placed on a roster.

If the individual provides a copy of a Child Abuse Registry Check that they have completed within the last year, this would also be acceptable.

Individuals may be placed on the roster and be permitted to participate once the application has been received by the MHA/League, even if the results of said application have not yet been returned.

Child Abuse Registry Check vs. Criminal Record Check/Vulnerable Person’s Sector Check?

Types of criminal background checks | Royal Canadian Mounted Police (rcmp-grc.gc.ca)

• A criminal record check will determine if a person has been charged or convicted of a crime.
• A vulnerable sector check is a police information check plus a check to see if a person has a record suspension (pardon) for sexual offences.

Province of Manitoba | fs - Child Abuse Registry (gov.mb.ca)

• The child abuse registry contains the names of persons who have been found to have abused a child.
• Entries on Child Abuse Registry via a family court or child abuse committee decision will not appear as conviction a criminal record. (Note: the burden of proof is different for child abuse committee vs. criminal court)

Does Hockey Manitoba also require Criminal Record Checks?

Currently, Hockey Manitoba only requires Child Abuse Registry Checks. Each MHA/League/Region can determine whether or not they want to include Criminal Record Checks as well.

How are names placed on the Registry?

There are three ways that a name may be listed on the Registry:

• A person was found guilty or pleaded guilty to an offence involving the abuse of a child in a court either inside or outside of Manitoba;
• A family court has found a child to be "in need of protection" due to abuse; or
• A child and family service agency's Child Abuse Committee has reviewed the case and formed an opinion that a person has abused a child.

Pursuant to section 19.4(2) of the Child and Family Services Act, an individual’s name will remain on the Registry for 10 years or until the child who was abused turns 18, whichever event last occurs.

Who is required to complete a Child Abuse Registry? 

This is required for all rostered Team Officials over the age of 18. This includes, but is not limited to coaches, managers, safety people/trainers, equipment managers, etc.

Are players over 18 required to have a Child Abuse Registry check done?

No, this is for rostered Team Officials only. Players do not need it.

Are board members or volunteers (timekeepers) required to have a Child Abuse Registry check done? 

It is not required but at the discretion of the MHA/League/Region, you could extend it to anyone with organization that you see fit. If they do not necessarily have direct contact with the players it is not needed but if they potentially could, it would be a good idea.

Where can we find the application form?

Once the MHA/League has set up an account with the Child Abuse Registry, they will be provided a form that will be distributed to all the teams. This form can be filled out electronically and emailed back to the MHA/League.

Who is responsible for submitting the applications?

For Minor Hockey, the management falls on a designated representative from your Minor Hockey Association. For any other leagues (Junior, AAA, High School, HCAS, etc.) the management falls on a designated representative from the League. It is the responsibility of the team to ensure their applicable applications are completed and then submitted to the MHA/League. It is the responsibility of the MHA/League to designate an individual who will take care of these. That individual will then set up an account with the Child Abuse Registry, collect the applications from the teams and then submit everything on behalf of the MHA/League.

Does someone from the organization have to verify ID before sending in, and who would do that? 

Whomever is handling this at the MHA/League level is required to verify the ID. Each individual must provide two forms of government issued ID, this would accompany the applications that individual submits. The MHA/League would then verify that the information on the application matches that which is on the ID and then submit the application ONLY to the Child Abuse Registry. Copies of the ID would then be destroyed.

How long does the organization need to keep the CAR check information on file?

A check is required every year, so the organization is only required to keep information on file for the current season.

Do we have to wait for the results to participate? 

No, as long as the application is given to the MHA/League before the coaching staff is placed on the roster, they are permitted to participate while waiting for the results.

How long are the processing times?

As processing time may vary throughout the year, we recommend allowing at least 6 weeks for processing.

How much does it cost to get a Child Abuse Registry check done? 

Because this is being done by through the MHA/League account and on behalf of a Hockey Manitoba organization, there is no charge.  If someone wishes to do this on their own, there is a cost of about $20.00.

What if someone has already had a Child Abuse Registry Check done? 

If someone has had a Child Abuse Registry check done within the last year, they would be permitted to send a copy of that in place of their application. This would have to be produced prior to being placed on the roster.

How often is a Child Abuse Registry Check required?

A check is required every year.

If a coach is coaching with two different organizations this year, do they need to do the Child Abuse Registry Check twice?

Both organizations would need proof of the check. In this situation there would be two options.

• Complete the application with both organizations and have both organizations submit on behalf of the coach. If done this way, the coach would not have to wait for it to be processed (which could take several weeks) and could participate right away, also, there is no cost if it is submitted by the organization.
• Provide each organization with a copy of a completed check. With this option the coach would need to obtain it on their own and would provide copies of the completed check to both organizations. This would need to be done before they could participate, and processing could take several weeks.

What if the Child Abuse Registry check produces a result?

If the results come back to clear the individual there are no further steps taken. If there are results that come back, you will only be notified that there is a record, but not any of the details. The individual would have the option of providing more information as to what the record is and then appealing to Hockey Manitoba to request to participate. In this case they would be required to provide the following information:

• Relevance of record to position
• Efforts at rehabilitation
• When the infraction took place
• Proof of record

If the individual is not willing to provide any of the above information, they would not be permitted to participate in any Hockey Manitoba programming.

What if someone does not want to complete the application or provide their personal information?

The application form is very basic and does not require much information beyond which would be required to register for hockey. If the individual is still unwilling to provide such information, they would have two options:

• They can go on their own to get the check done – to do it on their own would mean they have to pay for it and would need to provide the original completed results prior to being permitted on the roster or to participate.”
• They do not get to participate.