Child Protection
Staff Contact: Stuart Henderson,
Screening Coordinator
Saint Katharine Drexel, through the leadership of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, has made revisions to the Child and Youth Protection Policy which guides employees and volunteers in creating a safe environment for all members of our parish community, especially our children and youth. The Statement of Policy for the Protection of Children and Youth and the Code of Conduct for Church Personnel have been revised based on feedback from parishes and schools, as well as from the collective experience of those implementing these policies. These revisions seek to clarify adult-child boundaries, incorporate policies that address ever changing electronic communications, and provide a streamlined system to be used across the Archdiocese to eliminate duplication of efforts between parishes and schools. All employees, adult volunteers (18 and over), and youth volunteers (14-17), are required to adhere to this policy, whether or not they have substantial contact with children.
All adult volunteers WITHOUT substantial contact with children must:
Complete volunteer registration through our online volunteer management site, Virtus
All new adult volunteers WITH substantial contact with children must:
Complete volunteer registration through our online volunteer management site, Virtus and complete the online child protection training
All youth volunteers ages 14-17 must:
*Worthy of the Call is not available online. Please contact the parish office for information on this training.
Complete a PAPER copy of the volunteer application form signed by the youth and a parent/guardian
Complete the youth safe environment training, Worthy of the Call, provided as an in-person training at the parish.
Additional information on the Policy for the Protection of Children and Youth is available at the Information Center, in the Parish Office, or online at:
https://www.archbalt.org/child-and-youth-protection/requirements-for-volunteers/
Important! Backgrounds check (adults only) and Virtus or Worthy of the Call training must be completed prior to beginning service with a ministry that involves substantial contact with children. For adults who do not have a social security number, fingerprinting will be necessary.
We accept training and background checks completed at other parishes and schools within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Please designate Saint Katharine Drexel as a location in your Virtus account. We shall not substitute other training or criminal history screening.
If you have any questions or problems regarding online registration, training, or any of the required documents, please contact Stuart Henderson, at the parish office or call 301-360-9581.
