A child is pictured drawing during a therapy session in this file photo. OSV NEWS PHOTO/DYLAN MARTINEZ, REUTERS
It’s about protecting our kids: Volunteers remain vigilant despite ‘Charter fatigue’
BY JANICE HENDRICKS, SPECIAL TO THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
Charter fatigue. That’s a phrase we don’t often hear.
In her Feb. 21, 2024 letter enclosed with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2024 Annual Report on the Implementation for the Protection of Children and Young People, Suzanne Healy, the chair of the National Review Board, wrote: “We cannot risk Charter fatigue or complacency. We must remain vigilant.”
Originally finalized and set forth on June 14, 2002, the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People has gone through several updates and revisions. Parishes and schools are held to strict standards and count on many volunteers to help along the way. Every year, dioceses across the United States complete data audits. The data collected details the work of our efforts to comply with the implementation of the Charter, as it is often known.
When the religious education director is looking for catechists to teach… when the youth minister is searching for chaperones for an upcoming event… when the school needs drivers for a field trip… when it is time once again to renew our background check and training… it is easy to slip into the thoughts of “Do we really need to keep doing this?”
We get tired of Safe Environment, and Charter fatigue sets in.
“There are too many rules.” “It takes too long.” “Aren’t we safe yet?” The most important thing to remember when these thoughts take over is that one new allegation is one too many.
We must diligently follow the rules and protocols set forth in the Charter to keep our children as safe as possible. We will always be vetting the people who teach, guide, guard and oversee our children, to find the most trustworthy individuals we are able.
Fall is just around the corner, and we have entered a new school year. Parishes are gearing up for religious education classes and will be teaching the Circle of Grace program to our students.
In the background, someone in every parish and every school is keeping up with Safe Environment compliance. They are following up with phone calls, texts, and emails. They are asking people to complete Safe Environment training, background checks and policies. They are overseeing their list of volunteers and employees and keeping track of who does what, and when, and where. It is not glamorous.
They get Charter fatigue themselves. Yet they do not stop.
Now is a good time to encourage each other and remind each other why we do all these things. Engage in the efforts of protecting our children: it is not a waste of effort. Together, we make a difference in our Catholic Church.
Janice Hendricks is the Safe Environment Coordinator for the Diocese of Owensboro, and can be reached at [email protected].
To review the 2024 Annual Report on the Implementation for the Protection of Children and Young People, visit https://owensborodiocese.org/wp-content/uploads/2023-Annual-Report.pdf.
Originally printed in the September 2024 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
