Safe Environment
Child and Youth Protection
-
The Archdiocese of Atlanta’s 24 hour Abuse Reporting Hotline number is 1-888-437-0764.
-
We are here to listen and take action! You Matter. You are Family.
-
For additional information please go to the Archdiocese of Atlanta's Reporting Abuse Website Here
Reports of child abuse and neglect can be made by phone to The Division of Family and Children Services at 1-855-GA CHILD or 1-855-422-4453, 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
Compliance Requirements
The Safe Environment program of the Archdiocese of Atlanta is a program in which clergy, employees and volunteers who work in the Archdiocese of Atlanta participate. This includes, but is not limited to bishops, priests, religious, seminarians, deacons, school personnel, parish employees, Chancery employees. Also included are volunteers who work or have contact with children, youth, and/or vulnerable individuals.
To be Safe Environment compliant a person must have passed a background screening through the Archdiocese of Atlanta and attended a live three (3) hour VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children (PGC) training session.
Virtus – Protecting God’s Children
The Archdiocese of Atlanta is committed to our compliance with the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Article 12 of the Charter mandates that each diocese “maintain safe environment programs… conducted cooperatively with parents, civil authorities, educators and community organizations to provide education and training for children, youth, parents, ministers, educators, volunteers and others about mays to make and maintain a safe environment for children and young people.”
Since the fall of 2014, the Archdiocese of Atlanta has been using the VIRTUS children’s safe environment training, Empowering God’s Children, for all children enrolled in parish schools of religion and Archdiocesan Catholic schools. At SVdP we provide this training to all students through our Religious Education classes.
To register for VIRTUS training for adults, please follow the procedure outlined here:
-
Click the green First-Time Registrant box on the left hand side of the screen.
-
Select Begin the registration process.
-
Select Atlanta, GA (Archdiocese) from the drop down menu.
-
Create User ID and password. Do not use a shared email address.
-
Complete personal information.
-
Select primary location, role, and title. (If you are an EMPLOYEE of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, please select the location for which you are employed as the primary location.)
-
Let us know if you are involved with more than one location.
-
Select a Protecting God’s Children session from the list.
If you have trouble with VIRTUS registration, please contact Gina Garcia in the Office of Child and Youth Protection at 404-920-7552 or ggarcia@archatl.com