Child Protection Policy

We are writing to inform you of the new Volunteer Application form that is now to be used by all parishes and collaboratives for all volunteers.

• The Child Protection Policy for the Archdiocese of Boston requires that Volunteers complete a Volunteer Application Form.  

• The attached is the uniform form for all parishes to start using as of February 2023, and to have all active volunteers complete (including those that have been involved for a long time). 

• You will see that you can easily customize the form to identify your specific parish/collaborative name and the list of ministries you have. 

For those who may have started using the pilot form since this past summer, please now start using this most current updated version attached (Rev. 1/2023).

• Your parish/collaborative should keep them secure in your own office records (not be sent to the Archdiocesan Office of Human Resources).  

• Of special note on this newer form is that individuals who are working directly with children now need to provide 2 references.  For those volunteers who have already been working with you for at least the past year, the parish staff or ministry director can serve as the needed reference. 

There is a Sample Reference form attached for use during your screening process or for you to customize to best meet the needs of your parish.

• The Volunteer Application form also includes the important information that

1. all volunteers must complete a CORI background screening prior to beginning ministry and annually after that,
2. all adult volunteers who may be around youth, including all those in worship ministry, must complete Protecting God’s Children training within the first 60 days of ministry, and
3. all volunteers working directly with youth must complete Protecting God’s Children training within the first 30 days of ministry

• Among the multiple benefits of ensuring all volunteers complete the form before starting any ministry, are that

1. it helps strengthen the screening process,
2. it is an extra check in place to help dissuade potential abusers from gaining access to children, in that such an individual hopefully would not want to provide personal contact information thus not be interested in pursuing further, and
3. it is a quick easy reference for the unexpected times when a volunteer may need their primary identified emergency contact notified (in case of medical crisis, etc)

• Also attached is a bulletin blurb from VIRTUS that speaks to the importance of participating in a solid screening process, so might be of interest to you as you implement the New Volunteer Application.

Please share this message with any staff or volunteers in your parish that help you with compliance, and with the ever-vigilant and critical work of keeping all children safe.

Thank you for everything you and your team do!