Child and Youth Protection

Everything we do as Church must reflect our commitment to respect life in all situations by providing a secure sacred space that safeguards and promotes human dignity, by fostering the development of each individual, and by creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all who come to us seeking an experience of the Holy presence of God.

The Safe Environment Program of the Diocese of Raleigh and at the community of St Thomas More strives to empower parishes, schools, families, and individuals to create and foster safe and healthy environments for children and youth in all aspects of their lives.

All employees, volunteers, catechists and users of our space who work with children are required to attend in person a Safe Environment Workshop approved by the Diocese of Raleigh AND undergo a criminal background check AND personnel reference checks before they do so.

The main idea behind the course is the recognition of child abuse and neglect AND the proper protocols if they believe abuse or misconduct to have occurred.

Participation in a similar workshop provided by any other Catholic Diocese or any other organization is not recognized. These workshops will be offered periodically in English and Spanish at St. Thomas More. See Workshop Selection for dates of upcoming workshops. Workshops are held in the Friends and Family Hall except as noted below.

Child and Youth Protection Certification is valid for five years, after which time you must retake the Safe Environment Workshop in person. Contact Claudina Loh  (919-942-6203) for details of renewal of your certification. If you cannot attend a workshop at St. Thomas More, they may attend a workshops in other parishes in the Diocese.

If you cannot attend the Safe Environment Workshops hosted at St. Thomas More, please see Diocesan Calendar of Safe Environment Workshops at other parishes.

Please download and print the Diocese of Raleigh Application for Volunteers form, and return it to Claudina Loh at the St. Thomas More Parish Office for processing.

Por favor, descarga y imprima el Verificación de Antecedentes y volver a Claudina Loh en la oficina de la parroquia para mas procesamiento.

Following the scandalous revelations of abuse of children and youth by some clergy and church workers in recent years, all Catholic Dioceses have made great efforts to ensure safety and security for all children and youth while in the care of Church personnel. St. Thomas More Parish abides by the Diocese of Raleigh's full Child and Youth Protection policies. The links below contain additional information:

• Vatican Web Site - Abuse of Minors: The Church's Response 
• Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People
• Policies and Procedures for the Protection of Young People
• Code of Conduct for Church Personnel in the Diocese of Raleigh
• Report Suspected Abuse
• Ten Points for Protecting Children - from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• 2017 Annual Report on the Implementation of the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" - May 2018
• Resources for Families, Schools and Parishes
• FAQs on Child and Youth Protection

Therefore we require that all employees, volunteers and users of our spaces, including catechists, and anyone who will work with children attend a Safe Environment workshop AND undergo a criminal background check before they begin their work; all parents and others sign a “Personal Information Sheet” declaring that they have never been accused or convicted of child abuse. Anyone who refuses to do this will not be permitted to be on the premises when children are present. We also expect all catechists and staff to exercise vigilance and care at all times to ensure the children’s safety and security. We ask – and have received – full cooperation from parents in this essential matter.

Catechists will assure children from time to time that their safety and security is very important, and the children are encouraged to confide in a trusted adult is somebody makes them feel unsafe.