Office for the Protection of Children and Youth

The Diocese of Kalamazoo is committed to creating safe environments in our parishes and schools. The mission of the Safe Environment Office is to assist parishes and schools in their implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

The Office of Safe Environment conducts criminal background checks on all clergy and employees, as well as all volunteers who have regular contact with children in parishes and schools.  We work with parishes and schools to schedule training sessions. The VIRTUS™ program “Protecting God’s Children for Adults” is used to train employees and volunteers to prevent child sexual abuse. The three-hour session covers the scope and nature of child sexual abuse.  It gives five specific steps adults can take to protect children.