St. Agnes Catholic Church - Scottsbluff, NE

Safe Environment

Child and Youth Protection

Churches, schools, and youth organizations must ensure that children and youth who worship, study, or participate in activities sponsored by a parish can do so in the safest and most secure setting possible. Parents and caretakers have the right to ask these institutions if they meet the requirements of the Charter before they allow their children to become involved with them.

An effective safe environment program will have the following components:

A code of conduct for clergy and for any other paid personnel and volunteers in positions of trust who have regular contact with children and young people.
Training for all adults who work with children that consists of:

Signs an adult may see in a child who is abused
Signs an adult may see in a person who abuses children
What actions an adult should take when they believe child abuse of any kind may be occurring
The laws and policies regarding the reporting of child abuse

A training program for children that includes age appropriate materials pertaining to personal safety that conforms to Catholic teachings

2015 Safe Environment Continuing Education

The focus for this year's continuing education for the Safe Environment program is, Creating Connections in Our Faith Environment: Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships.

Safe - Relationships in our faith environments are; safety in numbers, open communication, restricted access, codes of conduct, screened and trained staff and volunteers, supervision, clear rules and expectations, parents are welcome, children educated in right relationships, dignity and respect, all signs of abuse are reported.

Stable - Relationships in our faith environment are the stability of over 2000 years of unchanging truth, unity over place and time, Holy Sanctuary, Sacred Tradition, unfaltering example of love, self-sacrifice, forgiveness, consistency present adults, constant models of faith, regular routine, clear expectations.

Nurturing - Relationships in our faith environment are called to be responsive to the needs of others - for love and justice - healing teachers - inclusive in the way Jesus was - resilience- building - empathic - effective communication - active listening - compassionate - exhibiting gentleness - a living express of God's kindness ...