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Safe Environment
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Protecting God’s Children The Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the United States is committed to the protection of the children in its care. Through the Archdiocesan-wide Safe Environment Program, all clergy, religious and lay volunteers must have PA Criminal Background Checks and Child Abuse clearances updated every five years. In addition, all clergy, staff members and volunteers must attend a “Protecting God’s Children” (or called Safe Environment) seminar that is designed to raise awareness of safety issues involving children (especially child sexual abuse) AND a "Mandated Reporter Training" class offered by the Archdiocese. For more information about Safe Environment, please contact Mrs. Theresa Haggerty at 610-356-5069. We are offering Protecting God's Children (Safe Environment) here at St. Anastasia in December 2011. You must register in advance with Mrs. Haggerty: thaggerty@saintannies.org SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR CHILDREN -- REQUIRED CLEARANCES There are four required actions for all parish volunteers who work with children: (1) PA State Police Criminal Record Check: do this on-line at https://epatch.state.pa.us (2) PA Child Abuse History Clearance: download the form at http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/PartnersProviders/ChildWelfare/003671038.htm. Fill it out and mail it to them. When you get your approved copy returned, please bring it to Mrs. Haggerty at the school. It will take about 14 days for the State to process your request. (3) Safe Environment Class (also known as Protecting God's Children): Our Director of Religious Education (Mrs. Haggerty) holds this class a few times a year at St. Anastasia. Contact her for dates at St. Anastasia 610-356-5069 (4) Mandated Reporter Training: offered at various sites in the Archdiocese (file is attached with dates and locations) If you can't make it to a class at St. Anastasia, please follow the link below to see other locations and times. Be sure to register in advance online. Wherever you attend Safe Environment, be sure to sign in (that is the diocesan "proof" that you have attended) and bring home for the parish files your copy of the signed "Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries" Bring that copy to Mrs. Theresa Haggerty at the school. Other sites: http://www.virtus.org/virtus/reg_list2.cfm?theme=0 These procedures are in-place to help protect the safety of the children entrusted to our care. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For more information, please read the Diocesan Regulations below: Background Check Requirement:
No employee or volunteer should begin service in the parish without the PA State Police Criminal Record Check. This document can be obtained online and the results are usually available within three minutes. (Please see above chart for link to this webpage.)
Employees must secure the required background checks within 30 days of hire. During this provisional period, their service to children must be supervised. If the FBI Criminal History Record (Fingerprint check) is delayed in being processed, the employee from day of hire needs to provide proof that he/she has completed the process for securing the Fingerprint check.
Volunteers should have all of the required background checks as they begin their service to children. If they do not, they may receive provisional permission to volunteer as long as the forms to obtain the background checks have been submitted. During this provisional period, their service to children must be supervised. All background checks must be received within 30 days.
Training Requirement:
- Attendance at Safe Environment Training is expected with 90 days of beginning service to children.
Those who do not comply must be moved to “inactive status” until requirements have been completed Safe Environment Class: SAINT ANASTASIA SCHOOL POLICY (for school volunteers): The school policy requires that you complete the background checks (PA Criminal, and PA Child Abuse) and the Safe Environment class regardless of the total number of hours of contact with children. PARISH POLICY (for all other volunteers): This class is required for all volunteers who have regular contact with parish children - the diocesan standard for this is one hour a week. If you only have occasional contact with children (once a month etc.), you are not required to take this class.
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St. Anastasia Parish
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
3309 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square, PA 19073
610-356-5069
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