St. David the King Parish, in compliance with the policies of the Diocese of Trenton, is committed to the initiatives outlined in the United States Bishop’s Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People regarding the establishment of safe environments for the children and young people entrusted to the care of our community and the reporting and investigation of sexual abuse allegations involving minors.
As part of our efforts and in conformity with diocesan policy, all adults whose employment, volunteering, or ministry involves regular contact with minors must submit to a criminal background check through fingerprint analysis as determined by the Diocese of Trenton and a VIRTUS Awareness Training Program. VIRTUS, a three-hour session, covers the scope and nature of child sexual abuse in addition to providing participants with steps that caring adults can follow to protect children.
Forms for obtaining a criminal background check are obtained by contacting the Safe Environment Coordinator. Adults must register for a VIRTUS Awareness Training Program online.
All children enrolled in our religious education program will participate in the Loyola Press, Growing with GOD, Safe, and Sacred Series, the diocesan-mandated safe environment program for children.
Links
Safe Environment & Standards of Conduct Policy (ecatholic.com)
Protection of Children and Young People | USCCB
VIRTUS
All staff and catechist volunteers at St. David the King are VIRTUS-trained.
What is VIRTUS? It is the Protecting God’s Children Program. It is a 3-4 hour awareness session to educate adults on recognizing the warning signs of child sexual abuse and what to do when they suspect a child is being victimized.
The Child and Youth Protection unit of the Diocese of Trenton works with parishes and schools to ensure that all employees and volunteers who have regular and consistent contact with children receive the proper training and have current criminal background checks. This training gives employees and volunteers the safety tools they will need in all aspects of their lives. The Protection Unit assists parishes and schools in implementing and scheduling VIRTUS training programs.