Safe Environment

As a parish of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, St. Patrick Parish of Kennett Square strictly adheres to the tenants of the Safe Environment Program.

The mission of this Program is to oversee the training of and background checks for all Archdiocesan clergy, employees, and volunteers who have regular contact with children.

It also disseminates the Archdiocesan Standards of Behavior for individuals working with children and young people, provides safe environment training for adults, and trains parish staff to monitor compliance with Archdiocesan policies and the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People as well as compliance with mandatory reporting laws.

As a parish, we rely on volunteers to help us in many ways.  Oftentimes, volunteers will work with or come in contact with children.  We are committed to keeping our children safe; therefore, all of our volunteers must complete some basic background checks and two required training courses prior to volunteering.

Training Requirements:
All church personnel and volunteers who have regular contact with children must complete the following training prior to any employment or volunteer work at St. Patrick Parish:

  1. Safe Environment Part I:  Protecting God’s Children –  Please register to attend this course at a location near you.  Click here to register.
  2. Safe Environment Part 2:  Mandatory Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse  – This is an online training that is required in addition to “Protecting God’s Children” course.  Click here to  register and complete this course under “Training Institute.”

Background Check and Clearance Requirements:
All three clearances and/or forms must be renewed every 5 years. 

  1. FBI Fingerprint Registration (If a PA Resident for less than the past 10 consecutive years)
    ****Please note: Select Digital Fingerprinting and Enter Service Code 1KG6ZJ
    OR
    Disclosure Statement Application for Volunteers (If Pennsylvania resident for 10 continuous years)
  2. PA State Police Criminal Background Check
  3. PA Child Abuse History Clearance 

Additional information on the required background checks and clearances as required by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia may be found online through the Office For Child & Youth Protection.  For more information on the Safe Environment Program, please review our overview worksheet.  You may also contact the Parish Office with any questions.