Child Protection & Safe Environment

Below you will find a link to the current Safe Environment Policy (in English and Spanish), along with links to other guidance, forms, and resources.

Archdiocese of Washington’s Safe Environment Policy (2024) English  |   Spanish

Archdiocese of Washington’s Pastoral Code of Conduct English  |   Spanish

Safe Environment Compliance

The Archdiocese has a comprehensive safe environment program in place for our parishes, schools, and ministries that includes mandatory background checks and training for all clergy, seminarians, employees, and volunteers who minister to young people and vulnerable adults, and age-appropriate education for those entrusted to our care.  The resources linked below provide more information about these requirements.

• VIRTUS Training
• Compliance Checklist
  • for clergy English  |   Spanish
  • for employees English  |   Spanish
  • for volunteers English  |   Spanish
• For questions involving clergy requirements, please contact the Office of the Vicar for Clergy at [email protected] or 301-853-4577.
• For questions involving employees or volunteers, please contact the Office of Safe Environment at [email protected] or 301-853-5328.

Victim Assistance and Pastoral Care

The relationship between the Church and her members is sacred. The Archdiocese recognizes that this sacred trust is broken, and profound harm is done, when anyone who is entrusted with the care of our faithful, whether a clergy or lay person, perpetrates an act of abuse. The Archdiocese is committed to providing pastoral and spiritual care and other assistance to survivors of abuse and their families to aid in the healing process.

Anyone in need of these services should contact the Archdiocese’s Office of Victim Assistance at [email protected] or 301-853-5302.

Mandatory Reporting

The protection of the most vulnerable is an obligation shared by the entire community, including all members of the local Church in the Archdiocese of Washington. It is Archdiocesan policy to report all allegations of suspected abuse or neglect of a minor to the appropriate civil authorities—regardless of who was involved or where and when the incident occurred. The resources below are intended to assist with mandatory reporting.

• Mandatory Reporting: Important Local Contact Information English  |   Spanish
• Mandatory Reporting: Guidance for Making a Report English  |   Spanish
• Mandatory Reporting: Archdiocese of Washington Contact Information English  |   Spanish
• Mandatory Reporting Forms English  |   Spanish
  • Maryland DHR/SSA Form 180 (Report of Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect) English
    (Este formulario solamente está disponible en inglés)
  • Archdiocese of Washington Report of Suspected Abuse Form English  |   Spanish

Third-Party Reporting Service for Catholic Bishops

The Catholic Church has established a third-party reporting system to receive allegations of sexual abuse by a bishop or the mishandling of allegations of sexual abuse by a bishop. For allegations involving bishops, in addition to reporting to law enforcement, please contact the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service at ReportBishopAbuse.org or call (800) 276-1562.

• Informational Flyer  English  |   Spanish
• Frequently Asked Questions  English  |   Spanish
• Metropolitan Explanation  English  |   Spanish

Accountability and Transparency

The Archdiocese understands that trust is built upon accountability and transparency. The Archdiocese undergoes a third-party audit of its safe environment program each year and publishes an annual report that includes data and information covering all facets of its safe environment efforts.  These annual reports are reviewed with an advisory board, comprised primarily of lay experts, who advise the Archbishop on the Archdiocese’s safe environment program and in his assessment when there has been an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult made against a member of the clergy.

• Annual Reports
• Transparency on Archdiocese of Washington Clergy Allegations