Protecting God's Children

Protecting God’s Children
contact: Kathy Goldrick [email protected]  201-664-0913
In accordance with requirements mandated by the Archdiocese of Newark, all adults, staff and volunteers alike, involved with children and/or teenagers of our parish must comply with the following requirements of the Protecting God’s Children Program prior to being able to volunteer:
After meeting with the staff member responsible for the ministry for which you are interested in volunteering, you will be asked to:

1. Complete the Volunteer Application
2. Read the “Archdiocese of Newark Policies on Professional and Ministerial Conduct”
3. Sign an Acknowledgement Form for the policies
4. Submit forms in person and a background check will be completed by the Archdiocese. 
5. Attend a Protecting God’s Children Workshop

FIRST TIME ATTENDING A WORKSHOP? You must pre-register at www.virtusonline.org. Click on the “FIRST-TIME REGISTRANT” tab on the left hand side of the page. Select the Newark (Archdiocese). When prompted, you must indicate in the “LOCATION” at which you will be volunteering: St. Pius X, Old Tappan

HAS YOUR CERTIFICATION EXPIRED? Volunteers must retrain for a Protecting God’s Children Workshop every five years. Email [email protected] to request retraining & specify if you want to register for an in-person workshop or online recertification. If you choose to retrain online, you will be required to complete a short module online every year and read monthly articles. Attending a Protecting God’s Children workshop in-person (2.5-3 hrs.) satisfies this requirement for five years.

BACKGROUND CHECKS MUST BE PERFORMED EVERY FIVE YEARS. Please email [email protected] (Kathy Goldrick) to order a new background check.

HOW TO REPORT ABUSE
The Archdiocese of Newark takes very seriously any and all credible complaints of sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy, religious, lay staff and volunteers of the Archdiocese. We encourage anyone with knowledge of an act of sexual abuse of a minor to inform the Archdiocese immediately so that we can take appropriate action to protect others and provide support to victims of sexual abuse.
If you suspect a child is in imminent danger from abuse, please call 911 immediately. To report known or suspected child abuse: Contact the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) 24-Hour Child Abuse Hotline: 1-877-652-2873 and contact the Bergen County Prosecutor (201) 646-2300 | New Jersey Clergy Abuse Hotline: (855) 363-6548
Any person who wishes to report an incident of sexual abuse of a minor committed by a member of the clergy, religious, lay staff or volunteer of the Archdiocese of Newark should contact the Archdiocese as follows:
Karen Clark
Director, Department for the Protection of the Faithful
 Archdiocese of Newark
 973-497-4254   email: [email protected]
or
Gina Criscuolo, LCSW
Coordinator, Office of Accompaniment
 201-407-3256  [email protected]