Keeping Families Safe and Happy

Including Resources from the USCCB and the Safe Environment Program of Christ the King Church and the Diocese of Nashville

The Flu - a Guide for Parents
The State of Tennessee wants to keep people informed about influenza and requires schools to make this information available to families of students. 
Click this link for a flyer from the national Center for Disease Control - The Flu: a Guide for Parents.

Internet Safety Helpful Links
All members of the family can find helpful information about staying safe on the Internet at NetSmartz.Org, a service of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: NetSmartz.Org. Another great resource is CommonSenseMedia.Org, a non-profit whose mission is to provide trustworthy information and education, and to offer a reliable, independent voice on media and technology for families. Josh Ochs offers helpful resources on social media at https://SmartSocial.com/

Cell phone use, messaging/chatting, parent supervision
A number of techniques are available for monitoring the use of student cell phones. Some cell phone providers offer these services as a standard offering or feature, and numerous apps are also available, most requiring an additional subscription fee. This page at CommonSenseMedia.Org provides a good overview of issues to consider when supervising student cell phone use, and this page at the same site goes over strategies for monitoring. The site offers very good advice about when, where and how to monitor, and outlines the practical limitations. No system is 100% foolproof; the best defense starts with a shared understanding of responsible use.

Several tech company CEOs have decided that they will not allow their children to have smartphones until they're in high school. Other parents, concerned about the downside of smartphones and social media, are making the same decision. For an overview of why, visit the site https://www.waituntil8th.org/why-wait

Privacy on Instagram
This WIRED magazine article explains how to preserve a level of privacy on Instagram by hiding and removing tagged photos from your profile: click here to go to the WIRED site.

Safe Passwords
Visit this link for the SANS publication on using passwords securely - OUCH! May, 2013.

Explaining the News to Our Kids
Good article at CommonSenseMedia.org on how to talk to kids about events in the news: click here.

Parent Help Line: 615-356-6767
Parent Helpline (Kids Don't Come With Instructions) is a 24 hour, toll-free helpline providing supportive listening, information, and referrals for families experiencing problems or stress. Parents are encouraged to explore solutions to the stresses of parenting and assistance is provided to link families with community support services. Behavior management, child development and non-physical forms of discipline are discussed.

Sponsored by Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee, click thru to PCAT website

SafeSafe Environment Program
All parishes and institutions of the Diocese of Nashville participate in the diocesan Safe Environment program, as mandated by the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People promulgated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Our parish and school join the diocesan effort in creating and maintaining a safe environment for all children and young people in our care.

Measures include a detailed code of conduct for ministers, employees, and volunteers, and clear policies on responding to allegations of abuse or misconduct. All employees and volunteers who have regular or ongoing contact with children and youth are required to complete training on signs of abuse and on the required actions to be taken when such signs are observed. This includes how to comply with legal requirements for reporting suspected abuse to the appropriate civil authorities. The diocese also employs a curriculum for use with children and youth that provides age-appropriate treatments of safety and personal well-being, fully in line with Catholic teaching. Please visit the diocesan Safe Environment webpage for a comprehensive listing of policies and resources, or contact the Parish Safe Environment Coordinator, Dawnne Stephens, 615-292-2884, for further information.

For other resources recommended by the Diocesan Safe Environment Coordinator,
visit the USCCB Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection site.

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