Summary of Child Protection Efforts
The following are the highlights of the child protection efforts that have been put into place by the Archdiocese of New York, as of August 2011:
Annual Audit Results
Each year, Archdiocese of New York undergoes an audit, to determine our compliance with the Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. This audit is consulted by outside auditors, under the supervision of an independent National Review Board established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In December 2011, the Archdiocese was found to be full compliance with the Charter -- our seventh consecutive finding of full compliance.
Statistical Summary of Efforts to Date
Since the start of the program in 2003, the following protective steps have been taken:
- 86,667 background checks have been completed on clergy, employees, and volunteers (this includes criminal background checks and sex offender registries);
- 77,527clergy, employees, and volunteers have received training on keeping children safe (either through "VIRTUS -- Protecting God's Children" or "Safer Spaces" classes);
- 157,479 children received age-appropriate, morally sound safety training during the 2010-2011school year; safety information was also provided to parents of school and religious education students.
- 48 people have been barred from working with minors due to negative results of background checks or failing to comply with training or background check requirements.
Future Initiatives Planned
To maintain the effectiveness of the program, we are taking the following steps for the future
Renewal of Background Checks -- A new policy is being formulated to refresh background checks of
all staff;
On-Line Training -- volunteers and non-instructional employees are now able to fulfill their training
requirement by viewing the "Safer Spaces" video through an on-line training tool;
Training Refreshers -- we have implemented an on-line training refresher for educators in leadership
positions (principals and directors of religious education) and a standard printed training refresher
resource for teachers, catechists, and others who work and volunteer regularly with minors;
Updated Training Materials -- our "Safer Spaces" training video, which is used for volunteers and noninstructional
employees, has been updated to include new information and policies; a new version of the
VIRTUS training video was introduced in Fall 2011.
A printed version of this summary of child protection efforts is available to be downloaded and distributed. Just click here.
