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Clergy, employees
and volunteers are required to attend a VIRTUS Child Protection training
session and read and sign a code of conduct. In addition, we are
required to have a thorough background check, including a criminal
history, completed for each clergy, employee or volunteer. We do this
for their protection and for the protection of children and young
people, and the parish as a whole.
Our
children are the most important gifts God has entrusted to us. As a
volunteer, I promise to strictly follow the rules and guidelines in this
Employee's and Volunteer’s Code of Conduct as a condition of my
providing services to the children and youth of our parish.
As
an employee or volunteer, I will:
- Treat
everyone with respect, loyalty, patience, integrity, courtesy, dignity,
and consideration.
- Avoid situations where I am alone with children and/or youth at Church
activities.
- Use positive reinforcement rather than criticism, competition, or
comparison when working with children and/or youth.
- Refuse to accept expensive gifts from children and/or youth or their
parents without prior written approval from the pastor.
- Refrain from giving expensive gifts to children and/or youth without
prior written approval from the parents or guardian and the pastor.
- Report suspected abuse to the pastor, administrator, or appropriate
supervisor and the
New York
State
Child Registry (1-800-342-3720). I understand that failure to report
suspected abuse to civil authorities is, according to the law, a
misdemeanor.
- Cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse of children and/or
youth.
As
an employee or volunteer, I will not:
- Smoke
or use tobacco products in the presence of children and/or youth.
- Use, possess, or be under the influence of alcohol at any time while
volunteering.
- Use, possess, or be under the influence of illegal drugs at any time.
- Pose any health risk to children and/or youth (i.e., no fevers or
other contagious situations).
- Strike, spank, shake, or slap children and/or youth.
- Humiliate, ridicule, threaten, or degrade children and/or youth.
- Touch a child and/or youth in a sexual or other inappropriate manner.
- Use any discipline that frightens or humiliates children and/or youth.
- Use profanity in the presence of children and/or youth. |
