Keeping Children Safe
What is the "Keeping Children, Youth & Vulnerable Adults Safe" program?
Parishes and schools have been providing Keeping Children, Youth and Vulnerable Adults Safe sessions since the fall of 2003 for all volunteers who have regular contact with children and youth.
The sessions are part of the Safe Environment Program which includes a mandatory training program for clergy, church, and school personnel including volunteers and seminarians. Priests are required to attend the program annually. In addition, all employees and volunteers (including active clergy) are required to review and sign the Code of Conduct annually.
These sessions provide information and training including:
- Child sexual abuse - facts and myths
- How perpetrators of abuse gain access to children
- Types of offenders
- Warning signs
- Adults (physical, emotional and behavioral violations)
- Children (effects of sexual abuse)
- Appropriate and inappropriate displays of affection with children
- Monitoring of employees and volunteers
- Training - Preventing false allegations
- Responding - disclosures
Who Should Attend?
The sessions are designed for volunteers who have regular contact with children and youth:
- Religious education classes and programs
- Catholic school events and activities outside of a regular classroom setting
- Youth ministry programs and events
- Liturgy of the Word for children
- Rite of Christian Initiation for children
- Babysitting, nursery and child care programs
- Choirs for children and youth
- Altar server training
- Vacation bible School
- Scouting
All programs require the presence of two adults or one adult and an older teen. This policy extends to:
Teen Volunteers
Teen must participate in the safe environment program for teen leaders if they:
- serve as catechist assistants and helpers
- minister as peer leaders (e.g. during retreats and in confirmation programs)
- volunteer in Vacation Bible School
- assist with nurseries