EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

Beginning July 1st, the Diocese of Toledo implemented a new on-line, one-stop registration program so that any adult who volunteers with our youth (at St. Michael School and through all parish activities)  can complete their needed Protecting Youth requirements through an on-line system called VIRTUS.  This requirement pertains to, but is not limited to, adults who volunteer with children in the lunchroom, Discipleship/FROGS, youth group, field trips, classroom helper, coaching, retreats, 8th grade trip, Scouts, nursery, prayer groups, choirs, festival, servers etc.

Effective immediately, any and all adults whose ministry includes any contact with children are expected to complete three (3) on-line components of Protecting Youth registration at VIRTUS which remain on-file for 5 years.

They are:

(1) reading and signing an electronic expectation form,

(2) completing a social security number based background check ($25) (through Fastrax) – which replaces fingerprinting (and was previously $50-$60). The parish has generously offered to cover the $25 fee for volunteers if that is necessary.

(3) completing Protecting God’s Children Online Awareness Session 3.0 (also available in Spanish) at no charge, which will take about 75 minutes (formerly the Shield the Vulnerable course was $6).

(If you had fingerprints and/or the Protecting Youth course completed within the last five years, those should still be on file, and should not need to be repeated for 5 years but you will still need to register on the VIRTUS system.)

Please contact Susan Campbell our St. Michael Compliance Officer as soon as possible at scampbell@sms.noacsc.org  if your service in our parish includes ministry with children to learn all you need to complete your registration.

We'd like to have all this on file by December 31, 2016.