Safe Environment Curriculum for Children and Youth

“The whole Church, at both the diocesan/eparchial and national levels, must be engaged in maintaining safe  environments in the Church for children and young people.”

USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People

Safe and Sacred

All current and new employees and volunteers must complete Safe Environment training on an annual basis.  To request access to the Safe and Sacred training, please contact our Safe Environment Facilitator, Kim Young at kyoung@stfrancisokc.com or via text at 405-509-0083.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley approved the implementation of the safe environment program Safe and Sacred to be implemented beginning July 1, 2020 in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Safe and Sacred provides  training for adult volunteers, clergy, staff, and employees who work and volunteer with children and  vulnerable adults. Volunteer teens are asked to complete training through a separate program tailored to the  teen’s developmental level. Safe and Sacred also provides a safe environment curriculum for the parents and  their children.

Teen Volunteer Program

We are blessed to have responsible teen volunteers working with children in our archdiocese. Safe and Sacred  is designed to train teens in the safe environment protocol at an age appropriate level. Please contact the  parish safe environment facilitator for more information and to complete the teen volunteer training.

Children’s Curriculum

The children’s learning program is an age-appropriate curriculum that addresses challenges children and youth  face in the 21st century. Children in pre-K through 12th grade are taught along with their peers in a typical  classroom setting by a trained catechist. Each session is about 45 minutes to one hour. Each grade has its  own lesson and teaching materials to download and use. Examples of lessons presented on an age appropriate level include personal safety, technology safety, bullying, and more.

Parent Engagement

Effective learning necessitates a partnership between parents and the catechist. All parents are given the  opportunity to pre-view the materials prior to the child’s participation in the program. Students further  benefit from take-home materials intended to assist with creating a framework for family-wide discussions.  Parents are given tips on engaging their child/ren in conversation to enhance and continue the learning  environment at home.

The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in accordance with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops  requires all children receive the opportunity for Safe Environment Training. Parents are given the opportunity  to have the option to present the training to their children at home or may choose to opt-out after reviewing the materials. When choosing to opt-out, parents will be asked to complete and sign an opt-out form. For  more information, parents should contact the parish catechetical leader.

Under Oklahoma State law, all individuals MUST report an incident or suspicion of sexual abuse of a minor (person under 18 years of age) to the civil authorities. The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has established a statewide abuse reporting hotline for reporting: 1-800-522-3511. This number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you feel a child is in immediate danger of harm call 911.

For the safety of children and the healing of victims, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City provides an Abuse of Minors Pastoral Response Hotline for reporting the abuse of a minor (in the past or presently) by a member of the clergy or other church personnel: (405)-720-9878. The Archdiocesan Victims Assistance Coordinator, a license professional counselor, will respond to calls to the Archdiocesan Pastoral Response Hotline.

A report to the Archdiocese does not relieve the individual of the duty to report child abuse to civil authorities as required by Oklahoma State Law. In Oklahoma, failure to report child abuse is a misdemeanor punishable by law.