Protecting God’s Children
Divine Savior Parish cares about our children. As part of its ongoing mission, the Diocese of Joliet is requiring that all Parish staff members and volunteers, who work with children, to participate in a workshop called “Protecting God’s Children.” It is designed to provide the facts about child abuse and hopefully motivate people to action in preventing abuse. In addition to participating in the “Protecting God’s Children” workshop, all volunteers are required to complete a standard application that includes a release of information to conduct background checks. Volunteers are required to read and operate by the “Standards of Behavior for Those Working with Minors.”
Protecting God's Children classes are offered periodically throughout the year at Divine Savior and other locations in the Diocese of Joliet. Please check the Diocesan Website
www.dioceseofjoliet.org for a complete listing.
Safe Environment
All Catholic schools and parish religious education programs in the Diocese of Joliet must offer instruction for children, grades K-12, and their parents to prevent child sexual abuse. It is very important for you as parents to understand what we are doing, why we are doing it, and to know that they can choose to send their child for safe environment instruction or not. Detailed information will be sent at a later date regarding the time of this special program. You have, by state school code, and by the preference of the US Catholic Bishops, the right to exempt your children from any instruction having to do with sexuality. It is your right to provide such instruction themselves. Parents will be sent home a resources to assist them — Parents Guide: Understanding and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse will be provided with the student schedules. Signs of abuse will be reported to the proper authorities.