Welcome to the Safe Environment Program page. In 2003 we implemented the Safe Environment Program which includes Protecting God's Children, VIRTUS, Background Checks and the Life Long Faith Formation Curriculum for schools and religious education. By doing this we require all our employees, coaches, seminarians, priests and volunteers to have all these areas completed before they can be employed or volunteer with our children or vulnerable adults. We are very passionate about this program and feel it is very important.

Staff Contact Info.

PGC Upcoming Sessions:

Protecting God's Children

• Instructor Lead Training Sessions (you can also get a current list of sessions online at http://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/reg_1.cfm?theme=0

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) updated 4-2008

• List of Facilitators in your area (please contact them and discuss a date and time that work for both of you)

• PGC school and parish checklist

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VIRTUS on-line training

• Pre-registration Instructions

• Registration

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• How to complete Online training bulletins

• How to complete Recertification (yearly)

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Curriculum

• Lifelong Faith Formation

• Safe Environment Curriculum

• Children and Adolescent Program Parent Meeting Packet

• Children and Adolescent Program Teacher and Catechist Training

• High School handout

• Parent Brochure

• Davenport PGC brochure

• Diocese of Davenport Children and Adolescents Protection Program - Parent Program

• Recommendation of Textbooks April 2008

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Background Checks

Contact Lynnette Sowells at sowells@davenportdiocese.org

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Forms

• Dependent Adult Abuse Registry Information Form April 2008

• Authorization for Release of Child Abuse Information April 2008

• Acknowledgment and Consent Form September 2007

• Drivers Information Sheet August 2007

• Internet Safety Policy Agreement August 2007

• PGC training sign sheets (for facilitators only)

• School/Parish Checklist list

• Curriculum Form

• Student Release

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Policies

• Policies Relating to Sexuality and Personal Behavior May 2007

• Policies Relating to Sexuality and Personal Behavior in Spanish May 2007

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Other:

• Safe Environment Requirements for employees and volunteers March 2006

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Additional Information:

• Additional trainings can be scheduled when there is sufficient need in a parish or cluster. A minimum of 20 learners is suggested, so you might ask other parish leaders in your area about their needs before requesting that a training be scheduled.

• When promoting the training, please make clear to your volunteers that the sessions generally last two hours and 30 minutes, and that they must be present for the entire training. Some host parishes have arranged child care for their volunteers during the trainings. Volunteers who arrive late or leave early should not expect credit for training.

• Barb Butterworth and Virginia Trujillo are always ready to help with your questions (563-324-1912 x265 or x256), but they have also put together a "Frequently Asked Questions" resource about VIRTUS online training. Its available here. If you still can't find your answer please give us a call.

• There's also a very good "how-to" guide to get volunteers comfortable with VIRTUS online that can be found on the website.

• Each parish and school is expected to have one person responsible for its safe environment efforts, including paperwork and monitoring of VIRTUS online training for volunteers. Please let Barb or Virginia know who is responsible at your parish or school by emailing them at butterworthb@davenportdiocese.org or trujillo@davenportdiocese.org.

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