How to become Virtus certified
Parents must complete a training session and also must read monthly training bulletins. There are many training sessions offered throughout the year at various schools in our area, including Blessed Sacrament. You can find training schedules on the Virtus website. Once you are certified, please read and stay current on your monthly bulletins in order to be able to volunteer in your child’s classroom, chaperone field trips, and/or help coach sports teams. Parents who are not Virtus-compliant are not permitted to assist in the classroom, on field trips, or as a coach.
For more information or to register for certification: http://www.virtus.org
What is Virtus?
Maximizing a school’s role as a child-safe environment begins with making adults more aware of the ways children and adults interact with each other. Through the VIRTUS® programs, we are committed and dedicated to the task of constantly providing the most effective risk control measures available anywhere. All parents are REQUIRED to become VIRTUS® certified and it is their responsibility to remain compliant in order to participate directly with any child in any classroom setting/grounds. The Protecting God’s Children Program educates and trains adults (clergy, religious, teachers, staff, volunteers, and parents) about the dangers of abuse, warning signs, prevention, the methods of properly reporting suspicions of abuse, and responding to allegations.
All VIRTUS® training programs, are multi-dimensional and comprehensive – incorporating proven best practice standards for the prevention of child sexual abuse by clergy, staff, volunteers, and others who interact with children within the church environment. Our training programs incorporate instructor-led training, train-the-facilitator education, awareness videos, and ongoing web-based training through online training bulletins and training modules via our VIRTUS® Online system.
