December 11, 2012

Safeguard the Children

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Protecting Our Children Programs, Support & Information

About Safeguard the Children

Safeguard the Children is a comprehensive program designed to promote a safe environment for children, youth and vulnerable adults and prevent child sexual abuse. The program was initiated in all dioceses in the United States at the direction of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). There is a Safeguard the Children (STC) Committee in each parish which helps to implement the objectives of the USCCB “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” To learn more about the Virtus program, see www.virtus.org

Goals

  • To provide education and mandated training for all staff and volunteers to promote a heightened awareness of their role and responsibility regarding the safety of children, youth and vulnerable adults.
  • To provide training to all children in the school and Religious Education Programs to help them know how to help them know how to respect their bodies, trust their self-protective instincts and learn when and how to seek adult help.
  • To perform an annual self-assessment of the compliance of the parish to the regulations of the Safeguard the Children Program of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Requirements for Parish Clergy, Staff and Volunteers

In accord with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the St. Lawrence Martyr parish leadership and Safeguard the Children Committee have developed Policies and Procedures for all volunteers at St. Joseph Church.

All St. Joseph volunteers must read and agree to follow the “Archdiocese of Los Angeles Guidelines for Adults Interacting with Minors at Parish or School Activities or Events.”

All minors volunteering at St. Joseph Church must read and agree to follow the “Boundary Guidelines For Junior High and High School Youth Working or Volunteering with Children or Youth.”

All volunteers who work with or around children in any way are required to attend a VIRTUS session, “Protecting God’s Children” adult awareness training session.

Anyone who supervises or is perceived to supervise children in any way is required to submit to a background check in the form of fingerprinting by the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Sign up for free archdiocesan LiveScan fingerprinting or sources for local LiveScan locations. Please contact the rectory for the address of our local LiveScan location.

All St. Joseph School and Religious Education students will take part annually in the ”Teaching Touching Safety” or other approved safe environment education program.

For more information, please visit: http://www.la-archdiocese.org/org/protecting/safeguard/Pages/default.aspx

Contact Us: Tony Burgos 562-596-6115