Blue cards for churches, clubs and associations

You will need a blue card for work at a church, club, association or similar entity that includes providing services to children and conducting activities with children. A blue card is required for people working or volunteering:

• in the children’s Sunday school at a church, or youth group
• with a children’s sports team
• with an organisation that provides guided tours to children
• as an executive officer or board/committee member—such as a president, treasurer or secretary member—of a community sporting or recreational club, or church youth group organisation that provides regulated services for children.

Under this category, you may not need a blue card if you are a parent who volunteers at an organisation your child attends and you provide the same or similar services to those your child is receiving at the church, club or association.

For example, if a parent volunteers at their child’s sporting club as a team manager/coach for their child’s team, and does not perform another role within the club—such as a timekeeper for another junior team—a blue card is not required. This is because the services the parent provides are the same or similar to those their own child receives at the club and they are captured by the volunteer parent exemption, unless they are a restricted person who cannot rely on the volunteer parent exemption.

However, if the same parent proposes to volunteer at their child’s sporting club as a Secretary of the Committee—or officiates other junior teams—they are not providing the same or similar services that their child is receiving at the club and a blue card is required.

Churches, clubs and associations are best placed to determine whether the services or activities a volunteer parent will provide are the same or similar to those their child receives at the organisation. You should check with your church, club or association about the proposed activities of any volunteer role and whether a blue card is required.