Parish Child Advocate
Roberta Lojko is the Child Advocate for St. Francis of Assisi Parish. She can be reached by phone at 413-213-0028.
Parish Child Advocate Role and Responsibilities
- In each parish, the Child Advocate is responsible for ensuring that certain Safe Environment protocols are followed.
- These protocols are described in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, Articles 12 and 13.
Child Advocates:
- Provide training sessions for relevant employees and volunteers;
- Oversee the completion of all relevant CORIs;
- Ensure that Codes of Conduct are signed and filed at parish;
- Maintain records for annual compliance audit.
Documentation kept by Child Advocates:
- Create master list of all parish personnel;
- Identify those who will have contact with children, youth and vulnerable adults;
- Note dates that relevant individuals
- Complete CORI form
- Sign Code of Conduct
- View video/DVD on reporting abuse
Catechetical Leader Role and Responsibilities
Catechetical Leaders (DREs, CREs, AREs):
Catechetical Leaders ensure that religious education programs follow the Safe Environment protocols described in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, Article 12.
Catechetical Leaders:
- Distribute prevention curricula to catechists;
- Ensure that catechists schedule and teach prevention material;
- Maintain a master list of all children and youth enrolled in Religious Education;
- Document attendance;
- File copies of letters sent to parents about prevention material, invitations to meetings, etc.;
- File parent requests that child not participate in prevention education;
- Document prevention resources provided to parents of children who do not participate;
- Document prevention resources provided to parents of new students.