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PARISH CAP PROGRAMS
Protecting God’s Children for
Adults
Next PGC Training Session at St.
Robert's
Thursday,
October 21, at 7:00 pm
To
register, please contact Irene Bonner in the parish office at
ibonner@comcast.net.
To find out dates for sessions held at neighboring parishes,
please contact Amanda Roberts at
amroberts@comcast.net.
What is the Protecting God's Children program?
The prevention and
awareness training at the parish level for adults - called "Protecting
God's Children", and administered by the Catholic Risk Retention
Group under an umbrella called VIRTUS - consists of classroom
presentations, printed materials and videotapes that will focus on
the prevention of abuse and the protection of children.
The program is
required and designed particularly for those adults who have custodial care of
children as part of their duties. Training in the signs and symptoms
that indicate a child is being abused in some way, and how to talk
with children about these issues will also be included, as will
training in the responsibilities of mandated reporting and the
Archdiocese of Boston's policies and procedures for preventing child
abuse. An on-line component called "VIRTUS On-Line" will provide
continued training through monthly bulletins and annual
recertification. For more information about VIRTUS "Protecting God's
Children", see:
http://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/protecting_children.cfm.
Children and Youth Safety Program
The Children and
Youth Safety Program includes two age-appropriate programs: "Talking
About Touching (grades K-3)" and "Keeping Children Safe (grades
4-8)".
Next Children and Youth Safety Session at St. Robert's
Sunday, February 6 & 13, 2011, after the 9:00 am Mass (from
10:15-11:15 am)
Registration forms
and safety information will be available during religious education
registration; you can also register later on in the year by
contacting Amanda Roberts at
amroberts@comcast.net or 978-683-8922.
Talking About
Touching (K-3)
The
Talking About Touching curriculum is put together by the
Committee for Children in Seattle and focuses on teaching children
basic skills that will help keep them safe from dangerous or abusive
situations, while supporting parents, educators and community
members in responding effectively to suspected abuse. This
curriculum is in use nationally and is also provided to schools
within the Massachusetts public school system through the
Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund, a highly respected,
longstanding organization that leads statewide efforts to support
parents and strengthen families thereby preventing child abuse. It
also has a parent video called "What Do I Say Now?" that will be
used in both the parishes and the schools.
The program for
children begins with a review of basic safety rules and issues
building up to the key general safety rule, the always ask first
rule (always ask the adult in charge for permission before going
anywhere). This general safety rule is the basis for introducing
the issue of appropriate touch and the touching rule. All these
rules and situations are reviewed with cards with pictures and
through skill practice role plays. Although the program is
specifically concerned with rules about touching, the assertiveness
and confidence it helps children develop is helpful in other areas
of their life as well.
Keeping Children
Safe—Grades 4-8
The program for
grades 4-5 begins with a general discussion of safety rules for
being alone and discussing the application of these rules to
hypothetical situations, leading to a review of the 3 D’s: if
something is Dangerous, Destructive, or Disturbing, tell an adult.
This initial discussion is further developed by exploring trickier
situations, a review of the touching rules and application to new
situations. The material includes worksheets for the children to
write down their safety rules, the names and numbers of where they
can get help, and the trick alert review.
The program for
grades 6-8 further develops the safety rules and applications for
going places alone and/or with friends, and goes on to include a
discussion on online safety, qualities of good friendships and
relationships and dealing with bullying and harassment.
Recommended
website for online safety for parents, kids, and teens:
www.netsmartz.org
Recommended book
for reviewing safety situations with children:
What Would You Do--A Kid's Guide to Tricky and Sticky Situations by
Linda Schwartz
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CRITICAL CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS
FOR SUSPICION
OF CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT
|
DSS – Lowell Office |
978-275-6800 |
M-F 9am – 5pm |
|
DSS – Lawrence
Office |
978-557-2500 |
M-F 9am – 5pm |
|
Child at Risk
Hotline |
1-800-792-5200 |
24 Hours/Day |
|
|
|
|
|
Rape Crisis Center
of Greater Lowell |
Office: 978-452-7721 |
M-F 9am – 5pm |
|
Hotline: 1-800-542-5212 |
24 Hours/Day |
|
|
|
|
|
Parental Stress
Line |
1-800-632-8188 |
|
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF
BOSTON
Office of Child
Advocacy
Robert Kelley
617-746-5996
child_advocacy@rcab.org
Office of Pastoral Support and Child Advocacy
Mrs. Barbara Thorp
617-746-5995
Office of Pastoral Support and Outreach
Toll Free Number: 866-244-9603
Office Number:781-794-2581