OFFICE OF YOUTH PROTECTION-SAFE ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM
Supreme Knight Carl Anderson calls for action in response to the current sexual abuse crisis in the Church and outlines roles that chaplains and Knights should play.
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Our Safe Environment Program safeguards children and other vulnerable persons, assures members and their families that we maintain a safe environment, protects members from awkward situations, misunderstandings, and appearances of impropriety, builds trust with arch/dioceses and parishes, and protects the good name of the Knights of Columbus.
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CLICK HERE for Supreme Background Check Forms
CLICK HERE for Supreme Safe Environment Training and Background
To access Praesidium Academy, please visit https://www.praesidiumacademy.com/ click on sign in and then click on “forgot your password” to create a new password. You will then receive an email notification to create a password. Your password must be at least 14 characters long and it must contain at least one number, a symbol and a capital letter. Once you have created the password, please sign in using your email address and password. You will then select your preferred language and answer the 3 onboarding questions. The training and background check (if applicable) should appear under Start Here.
CLICK HERE FOR DIOCESE OF ORANGE CHILD & YOUTH PROTECTION
NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS IN THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
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Knights of Columbus Safe Environment Program (SEP)
Our Safe Environment Program assures members and their families that we maintain a safe environment for all those whom we serve, protects members from awkward situations, misunderstandings, and appearances of impropriety, builds trust with arch/dioceses and parishes, and protects the good name of the Knights of Columbus. Our program is operated in conjunction with our strategic partner in youth protection and safe environments – PRAESIDIUM, Inc. Praesidium specializes in providing safe environment training to help prevent sexual abuse in organizations that serve youth and vulnerable adults. For more information, go to www.praesidiuminc.com Under Faith in Action, certain state and council officers/directors are required to complete the Order’s safe environment training and may also be required to provide authorization for a background check. If members in certain roles are not compliant within 30 days of notification, they are subject to removal from those roles. Email addresses are required when completing the Service Program Personnel Report (#365) for the program, community, and family director roles. Praesidium, the Order’s safe environment partner, will email grand knights, program, family, and community directors assigned usernames and passwords to complete the training. They will also email family and community directors a personalized link to provide background check authorization. The Knights of Columbus covers all costs associated with these requirements. Although the grand knight may also hold one of the following roles, there must be three (3) different members assigned to the program, family, and community director roles.
Our policy requires that members complete applicable arch/diocesan background checks and any other requirements that may be required by the local arch/bishop and/or pastor to serve as a volunteer on parish property. Our own program is operated in conjunction with our strategic partner in youth protection and safe environments –PRAESIDIUM, Inc. Praesidium specializes in preventing sexual abuse in organizations that serve youth and vulnerable adults. Having trained more than one million people online and hundreds of thousands in person, Praesidium is the largest and most comprehensive sexual abuse risk management firm globally. To learn more about Praesidium, go to https://www.praesidiuminc.com/
Three training modules are required for members serving in youth leader and certain officer roles: “Meet Sam,”addressing the issue of sexual abuse awareness, “Duty to Report,”covering legal reporting obligations, and “Know Your Policies,”a review of Knights of Columbus safe environment policies. We also maintain a youth leader screening process, including background checks, specifically for members who lead Knights of Columbus youth activities.
Anyone suspecting abuse should (1) report suspected abuse to law enforcement; (2) notify the local diocese of the suspected abuse; and (3) notify the Knights of Columbus of the suspected abuse at 1-844-KOFC-SAFE (1-844-563-2723)
The Diocese will accept the Knights of Columbus Training Certificate. The background check for the Diocese is DIFFERENT than the background check from Supreme (does not require fingerprinting). You must obtain the Live Scan Form for fingerprinting and Diocese Background Check from your parish Safe Environment Person.
Members of the Knights of Columbus in the Diocese of Orange collectively, and generously, provide tens of thousands of volunteer hours in their parishes every year. As many of our members volunteer in their parishes in programs, activities, and events at which minors, the elderly, and the disabled are present, the Bishops of the Orange Diocese require those members who choose to volunteer to complete diocesan safe environment training and background screening via Live Scan digital fingerprinting. To assist members wishing to volunteer in their parish to become compliant with diocesan safe environment requirements, grand knights and financial secretaries should implement the following best practices:
- Make a list of all members who serve as volunteers on parish property* for one or more Knights of Columbus activities. (“Eligible Member Volunteer List”).
- Ask each member on the list whether he has completed the diocesan safe environment training and background screening via Live Scan digital fingerprinting.
- If the member volunteer has already completed such training, then the date of the completion of the diocesan requirements should be recorded on the Eligible Member Volunteer List.
- If the member volunteer has not completed the diocesan safe environment requirements, he must do so as soon as possible to maintain his eligibility to continue to volunteer on parish property.*
- Provide the Eligible Member Volunteer List to the parish priest, the parish safe environment liaison, and to the diocesan safe environment coordinator upon request.
- Update the Eligible Member Volunteer List with new member volunteers who become eligible to volunteer on parish property.*
- Confirm the names on the Eligible Member Volunteer List regularly throughout the fraternal year.
Please note, being a member of the Knights of Columbus does not constitute volunteer activity. And membership does not require volunteer activity on parish property. Neither does membership in the Knights of Columbus exempt a member from compliance with all diocesan safe environment requirements applicable to parish volunteers. Council meetings are not a parish or church ministry or a volunteer activity. Council meetings on parish property are limited to Catholic men over the age of 18 and are a private meeting limited to membership. The tables below show how diocesan and Knights of Columbus safe environment requirements generally relate to members of the Knights of Columbus:
Knights of Columbus/Diocesan Safe Environment Program Requirements
| Knights of Columbus Activity | Diocesan Safe Environment Program | KofC Safe Environment Program |
| Membership | n/a | n/a |
| Council Meetings – (closed, members-only business meetings) | n/a**
**unless a parish is unable to reserve a dedicated time and place for council meetings where it is unavoidable that council meetings share the same time and place as parish ministries at which minors are present (e.g. Religious Education, youth ministry, etc.) |
n/a |
| Church, Diocesan, and Parish Ministries |
yes |
n/a |
| KofC Volunteer Activities on Parish Property, OR off Parish Property when related to a Diocesan/Parish Ministry where minors are present |
yes |
yes |
| Non-Diocesan/Parish Volunteer Activities Off Parish Property where minors are present |
n/a |
yes |
*or off parish property when related to a diocesan/parish ministry where minors are present
Council membership rosters are proprietary and confidential property that belongs to the council and are limited to membership use only. Distribution of membership rosters to nonmembers is strictly prohibited by the Laws of the Order. In order to facilitate proper disclosure and transparency, follow the procedure above.
Knights of Columbus members in the Orange Diocese have been informed by the diocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection (https://www.rcbo.org/group/child-and-youth-protection/) that it will accept the Order’s online safe environment training from Praesidium to satisfy the diocesan training requirement. Members may submit a copy of the completion certificate they print upon the completion of all three of the initial Knights of Columbus safe environment training modules to the parish records custodian. Knights of Columbus training may be accessed at www.kofc.org/safe . Members electing to volunteer who have not completed Knights of Columbus safe environment training must complete the diocesan safe environment training to be eligible to volunteer in their parish.