Parish Catechetical Leaders

Lideres catequeticos parroquiales

GENERAL FORMS

• Photo Release Form

• Publicación de imágenese y grabaciones para jóvenes
  
  

• Adult Release Form

• Formulario de autorización para adultos
  
  

• Accident Report Form

• Formulario de informe de accidente
  
  

• Catechist Observation Form

• Formulario de observación del catequista

OFF CAMPUS/EVENT FORMS

• Off Campus Permission Form

• Formulario de permiso fuera del
  
  

• Medical Treatment Authorization

• Autorización de tratamiento
  
  

• Medication Transfer Form

• Formulario de transferencia de medicacion
  
  

• Non-Scholastic Sports Participation Form

• Formulario de permiso para deportes no escolares
  
  

• Photo Release Form

• Publicación de imágenese y grabaciones para jóvenes
  
  

• Adult Release Form

• Formulario de autorización para adultos
  
  

• Accident Report Form

• Formulario de informe de accidente

• Response: The rules that would need to be followed would be those of religious education because of the 'normal, repeating nature' of the choir practice schedule. 

• Response: Dependent upon the number of students.
  
  
• Are rehearsals considered the same as a CCD class where there is one person in charge and an assistant? 
  • Response: If rehearsals are regular as opposed to just once in a while for Christmas or something, then yes, rehearsals would be considered under the Religious Education Classroom guidelines. If it is just for special occasions, then it would be under the Special Event guidelines.

• Response: For choir practices where youth and adults are present, all adults participating should be safe environment complaint.

• If you have ‘go-to substitutes’ that you call on regularly, then yes, they should be safe environment certified. If your substitute does not work ‘regularly’ then no as they do not have supervisory authority and are just filling in under three times per year. 

• Response: If they are affiliated with the parish, they must meet on the church property. Regarding training and such: if parents are present the entire time and fully responsible for their own children nothing further is needed. If parents take turns working/playing with the kids separately so there is 'kids time' and 'moms time' then all the proper clearance and policy requirements must be followed.
  • If they are a group of parents that are not deeming themselves ‘the mom’s group of the parish’ and rather just a group that has formed organically outside of the parish, no further action is required as they are all operating as parents unconnected to the church.

• Response: If the parent is fully responsible for the child for the entire trip, driving and throughout the pilgrimage, nothing further is needed. If there are children who are in attendance without a parent, then proper off-site policy standards are to be observed both for chaperone and driving requirements.

• Response: As in all catechetical situations, the catechist/leader must be safe environment certified. If the child is in attendance and fully the responsibility of a parent also in attendance no further action is required. If the child is attending the study on their own without a parent, they need to either be advised they cannot attend, or all adults in attendance must go through the proper clearance and policy requirements prior to any further meetings.

• Response: As in all catechetical situations, the catechist/leader must be safe environment certified. If family catechesis is structured in a way that parents are with their children and responsible for their children for the entire time, no further action is necessary. If the children are pulled separately for 'kid lessons/activities' and parents have different lessons, then the proper clearance and policy requirements are to be implemented for Catechists/Aides for the student group. All parents would not need to be cleared.

• Response:The groups need to be trained in the Policy for the Protection of Children and Youth. This may look like the SEC training the leadership and the leadership presenting at a meeting. This may look like the SEC going to a meeting and presenting to those who are there.
  • Regardless, the leadership should be trained appropriately, and the leadership Virtues trained, background checked and cleared through the Office for the Protection of Children and Youth.
  • Other training and clearance would be dependent upon the events that are being held.
  • Further clarification on leadership certification requirements is coming soon.

• Response: As this event occurs over a week, they should be cleared, and abide by policy guidelines, including that husband and wife cannot be the only chaperones if chaperones are needed.

• Response: All ministries should be trained in the policy. If they are working with youth then they need further clearances as well: Virtus Trained, Background Checked, Diocesan Cleared. (for example: adult servers who serve with youth during Mass, Lectors who will then mentor younger students in training etc...)
  • Further Clarification: If the minister is not working with youth at all then although best practice, training is not required. If they work with the youth in training or mentorship or the like, then all training and clearances are required.

• Response: No, this is a public event. It should be advertised as such, and parents encouraged to attend with their minor children.
  • If young people are attending as part of a youth group or something of the sort, then the proper chaperone requirements must be adhered to.

• Response:When an unaffiliated group rents the facility, they provide their own insurance, signing waivers etc, they do not then need to have the same clearances. If they are not providing these types of documentation, then they must abide by the same clearance and policy requirements.
  • If a parish group is attending this event as a group with youth, the appropriate Special Event guidelines must be followed regarding chaperones etc.

• Response: We believe that providing that the offices are in a location where there is no interaction with the school that the parish requirements and guidelines are to be followed. This question has been forwarded to the Office of Schools for legality. They will follow up with the individual parishes that this situation concerns.

• Response: This is an insurance issue, not a 'safe environment issue' please see your local facility or insurance policy for ruling on that. 

• Response: If the open gym is advertised as such, open to any to drop in, and youth under the age of 18 are allowed to participate without a parent present, then the organizers/leaders need to be trained, background checked and cleared, and on-site special event proper chaperoning ratio and policy requirements must be implemented. 
  • If lack of registration does not allow for the planning of the proper number of chaperones to be present and participating in the event, then parents must be required to stay with their children (being fully responsible for them).
    • If neither of the above are possible, then students under the age of 18 are not allowed to participate.
• Response for Wrestling scheduled event... if unaffiliated with the church, proper waivers and insurance should be provided like a rental would be even if no cost is charged. If not, proper chaperone and policy requirements must be implemented.

• Response:Photos can be shared via email with families / parishes who are involved. Part of the email should indicate that photos should not be posted on social media, the web, the bulletin or otherwise except for those who are in your own family. Parishes who choose to post their own group are allowed, provided that all students in the photos have the proper image and likeness documents signed and on file. 
  • Please note: For parishes that have a section where parents can choose where the child’s photo can be used: Please be sure that parents know if your bulletin is uploaded to your website.

• Response:Regarding faith formation meetings and events, it is addressed in the Parish Catechetical and Youth Ministry Policy (Both policies must be followed, always following the stronger rule when one is not specified):
  • REGULATION #8.0-R SUBJECT: CLASSROOM GUIDELINES There is to be at least one church personnel per fifteen minors in a classroom setting. The preference is either two catechists, or a catechist and an aide in each classroom. It is recommended that there is a church personnel available in the hallways to assist with bathroom breaks and other issues as they arise. Church personnel will not knowingly allow minor children, nor encourage minor children to participate in dangerous activities outside the scope of the class. Minors should be walked to the bathroom down public hallways. Church personnel are not to share showering, bathing, changing or dressing facilities with minor children. Adults should wait outside the restroom stall for the minor. When the good of the minor requires that they be accompanied by an adult in any of these locations, the time should be minimal and another adult should be made aware of the circumstances.
  • The rest of the document can be found here: https://files.ecatholic.com/2792/documents/2019/8/Parish%20Catechetical%20and%20Youth%20Ministry%20Policies.pdf?t=1566243114000

• Response:In restrooms that are shared by adults and children that seems like good practice, however that is not written in the policy. The local pastor always has the right to add requirements that they feel would be necessary for their parishes, so perhaps something like that happened to make it 'a rule.'
  • Another good practice that helps with that is to mark certain bathrooms just for youth and others just for adults during youth events and retreats.
  • In the end, we follow the stricter rule, so if your pastor is advising that bathrooms need to be checked prior to allowing students in, then we do that.

• Response: With two adult women chaperones it would be allowed to have 10 participants and then after 10 you would need another chaperone. Due to the fact that there will be both male and female participants, you should have at least one male chaperone as well. Priests are not counted as chaperones.
  • R: Ideally sounds like 2 female chaperones really equals 1 since we have to have a male. Unless the number swells to more than 10.
    • A: Yes, that is correct.

1. Response: That is still allowed. It just is clearly communicated that it is a friend gathering ... for example do not use your parish communication tools to invite etc. Communication would go through parents for the invitation etc...