Volunteering With Children
The Safe Environment Office educates clergy, employees and volunteers of the Archdiocese of Chicago on how to prevent sexual abuse, recognize grooming behaviors and create safe environments for children and young people in our parishes, schools and community. In addition, the Safe Environment Office is responsible for tracking the screening of clergy, employees and volunteers.
Everyone who works with or around children, employee or volunteer, must complete the required training before employment or volunteering. The St. Damian Site Administrator is responsible for insuring all volunteers and employees are in compliance. The current Site Administrator is:
Connie Swidergal
(708)342-8527
[email protected]
If you have volunteered anywhere in the Archdiocese in the past but your virtus account has been inactivated due to the pandemic, please contact our Site Administrator, Connie, for assistance.
Archdiocesan Compliance Components:
- Create an account at virtus.org. All training and documentation will be recorded there. Upon creation of the account, you will be prompted to do several things:
A. Read the Archdiocesan Standards of Behavior and sign it electronically.
B. Complete and submit the online Criminal Background Check.
C. Complete the online Protecting God's Children Training module.
Print the certificate of completion and submit to the Site Administrator.
D. Monthly bulletins will be assigned through virtus.
Read them in a timely manner and answer the questions at the end.
Click here for instructions on how to create a VIRTUS account. - The State of Illinois requires volunteers to take an online Mandated Reporter Training.
A. The training can be found here.
• Your certificate of completion must be submitted to the Site Administrator.
• An Acknowledgement form, the DCFS CANTS 22 form will also be generated. Please sign and submit to the Site Administrator. - A DCFS CANTS 689 form must be submitted annually to the Site Administrator.
Please do not submit to DCFS as directed on the form.
Click here for printable form.
Click here for an interactive chart of 2022 Archdiocesan Compliance Guidelines