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 theUnited Statesat 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 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

A Prayer for Healing
Working Together to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse (English)
Working Together to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse (Spanish)
Guidelines for Adults Interacting with Minors at Parish or Parish School Events or Activities
Respecting the Boundaries (English)
Respecting Boundaries (Spanish)
Responding to An Allegation of Suspected Child Abuse
Instructions on Completing Suspected Child Abuse Form SS 8572
Suspected Child Abuse Form SS 8572

Safeguard the Children Committee

Holy Name of Mary Parish has an active Safeguard the Children Committee chaired by a parishioner. Other members include the Director of Religious Education, the School Principal, the Director of Administration, the Coordinator of Elementary Catechesis, and the Coordinator of Youth Ministry. Two volunteers from Religious Education and two volunteers from Holy Name of Mary School complete the group. Meetings are held quarterly or more often as needed.

What We Do Here:

To ensure the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual safety of our children, we are committed to making HNM a safe, trustworthy environment for our children by

• Training all volunteers who work with children to watch for and prevent potentially dangerous situations and environments

• Training volunteers to recognize the signs of child abuse of any kind

• Educating our parish about child safety issues

• Setting and/or recommending parish policies and guidelines for parish programs and events for which involve interaction with children

• Assembling and making available resources on child safety

• Monitoring our parish for compliance with the national Charter of the Protection of Children

Requirements for Parish Clergy, Staff and Volunteers

In accord with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Holy Name of Mary parish leadership and Safeguard the Children Committee have developed Policies and Procedures for all volunteers at HNM parish and school.

• All HNM 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 HNM 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, 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.

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

Additional Links

VIRTUS Online™ is the brand name that identifies a state-of-the-art, web-based platform that provides best practice resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their system provides a comprehensive menu of functions for churches, religious organizations, and facilities from one convenient web-based resource. Through those functions they can help church organizations prevent wrongdoing, manage risk and improve service to community through education, training, and best practices.

• To register for a “Protecting God’s Children” adult awareness training session

• Once you are Virtus certified to continue with your training bulletins

• “Why Am I Here and What Is My Role in Protecting Children?” A handout for participants describing the background of the Protecting God’s Children program and the prescribed role for adults in the faith community.Information on a broad variety of topics related to child abuse and child safety.

• Information on a broad variety of topics related to child safety and child abuse

• Policies and activities of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in “Protecting Our Children”

• General Policies on Safe Environment

• Training Guidelines for Adults Interacting with Minors at Parish or School Activities or Events

• Boundary Guidelines for Junior High and High School Youth Working or Volunteering with Children or Youth

• Responding to the Problem

• Training

• Resources

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People”