In cooperation with Office for Youth Protection, the Office of Religious Education assists pastors and parish leaders in providing Safe Environment (SE) training resources for minors. All minors participating in parish programming from 4K-12th grade should be trained using the "Safe and Secure / Seguros y Protegidos" videos once per year. Using the forms listed below, parish leaders are required to annually report the number of trained young people in their programs. For the 2023-2024 formation year, training reports must be submitted by Friday, October 20, 2023.
Parents may choose to have their children "opt out" of participation in SE training, but they must make their choice by submitting the "opt-out" form to program leaders. Leaders should record and report the number of minors whose families opt out of training. Parishes and missions without programming for minors must also submit training reports, confirming the current state of things for diocesan records and audits.
After notifying parents and catechists, parish leaders are encouraged to screen the "Safe and Secure" training video to minors during class/group time at the beginning of the formation year. If it is not possible to share the SE training video in a parish setting, leaders may share it directly with parents who may in turn share it with their children. The ORE provides a template form for sharing "Safe and Secure" with parents - it may be modified for and used by parish leaders at their request.
Please note, safe environment training for minors is distinct from youth protection training for adults. YP training courses and materials may be found with the Office for Youth Protection.