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Safe Environment: For the Sake of God’s Children

For the Sake of God’s Children is a program focused on the continuous development of a safe environment in our communities. The program has three major components:

  • Conducting background checks for Church Personnel
  • Ethical and Behavioral Standards for Church Personnel
  • Safe Environments Training

VIRTUS Online Safe Environment Training and Background Clearance
Frequently Asked Questions

Effective July 1, 2026, the VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children for Adults training will replace the For the Sake of God’s Children videos.

All employees and only volunteers whose role specifically involves working with children will create a VIRTUS account to complete the Protecting God’s Children training and electronically sign annual acknowledgements. Current and new background clearance dates will be manually transferred to each account profile. The VIRTUS training is renewed every three years, and background checks are renewed every five years. Please visit https://www.virtusonline.org/ to create your Safe Environment account. First time users must click the First-Time Registrant button to begin the registration process. Select Wilmington (Diocese) from the dropdown menu.

The training consists of short videos with several questions after each video and takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete. Your progress will be saved if you are unable to finish the training in one sitting.

Who is Required to Create a VIRTUS Account and Background Check

  • Diocesan office, parish, and school employees. (See below for Delaware clearance requirements for school employees.)
  • Volunteers whose role specifically involves working with children. (See below for Delaware clearance requirements for school volunteers.)
  • Adults who volunteer alongside children who are volunteering/serving together.
    – Exception: If the parents/guardians are present and volunteering with their children.
  • Volunteers of homebound ministries or any activities relative to vulnerable adults only need the InfoRetrieval background check. VIRTUS is NOT required.
  • Examples of specific ministries/services that require a clearance.

Who is NOT Required to Create a VIRTUS Account or Background Check

  • Volunteers whose role does not involve working directly with or alongside children. For example, cantors, lectors, or ushers.
  • Volunteers hosting breakfasts, dinners, or social gatherings in a public setting open to the parish and/or community where parents/guardians are in attendance with their children.
    – Exception: If children are volunteering alongside adults or the volunteers are chaperones.
  • Volunteers or employees who are under 18 years of age or those who are 18 years of age but are still in high school. They must be considered as a youth in the youth to cleared adult ratio and they must always be supervised.

NEW Delaware SCHOOL Background Clearance Requirements (Delaware Code 309-312)

Who is Required to Complete an SBI/FBI Fingerprint Clearance AND Child Protection Registry Check in Addition to a VIRTUS Account (SBI/FBI fingerprinting and CPR checks replace IdentoGo as of July 1, 2026)

  • New Individuals as of July 1, 2026 and current individuals at the time of their background check renewal from the list below. All are required to complete the Child Protection Registry check.
    • All school employees and student teachers.
    • School contractors and volunteers who have regular direct access to minors or provide services directly to minors. (Direct access as defined by the Delaware law means the opportunity to have personal, unsupervised contact with persons receiving education during the course of one’s assigned duties.) It is determined at the local level if an individual’s role is considered to have regular direct access to children.
    • Only parish employees whose offices are located within the school building and whose work hours are during school hours.

Who is NOT Required to Complete an SBI/FBI Fingerprint Clearance AND Child Protection Registry Check (The InfoRetrieval background check is required.)

  • Contractors and volunteers who do not fall under Delaware’s definition of regular direct access. (Their status is determined at the local level.)
  • Coaches under the CYM diocesan or parish athletic program. (School organized and managed athletic programs are required to comply with the state law.)

Steps to Complete the InfoRetrieval and SBI/FBI Fingerprint and Child Protection Registry Check
IMPORTANT: Contact the parish or school Compliance Coordinator before initiating any step to complete a background check. Call or email the parish or school office to be connected with the Compliance Coordinator to ensure the appropriate steps are taken to complete the applicable clearance requirements.

  • SBI/FBI Fingerprint Check is by appointment only and scheduled through IdentoGO by visiting https://uenroll.identogo.com/. Specific Diocese of Wilmington service codes are required to make the appointment. No other SBI/FBI fingerprinting results can be accepted.
    • Employee/Contractor service code 27S59R. Click here for instructions.
    • Volunteer service code 27S5B5. Click here for instructions
  • The Child Protection Registry Check (CPR) is completed online through DSCYF. Specific Diocese of Wilmington IDs are required when completing the online check. DSCYF Child Protection Registry checks completed through other organizations within the last year can be emailed to safeenvironment@cdow.org for approval.
    • The requesting agency ID number is 79980 and the requesting agency contact ID is 113234.
    • Follow these step by step instructions to successfully complete the CPR check.

Thank you in advance for fulfilling these requirements to support the Diocese of Wilmington’s efforts to ensure the safest possible environment through awareness training and by strengthening prevention initiatives.

For the Sake of God’s Children Policy Manual is Under Revision
Forms & Brochures
Additional Information

Questions about the program can be directed to : FSGC@cdow.org

The above documents are in Acrobat (PDF) format. If you do not have the Free Acrobat reader, click here.

Keeping Our Promises Curriculum for Parish Religious Education Programs

Curriculum

Video Part One: Keeping Our Promises Curriculum for Parish Religious Education

In this 3-part video presentation, Ms. Kellie Turner, Director of Programs for Prevent Child Abuse Delaware, reviews the curriculum used by parish religious education teachers (catechists) to teach their elementary school students about child abuse and how to prevent it.

Part One Contents:

1. Agenda review

2. About Prevent Child Abuse Delaware

3. Addressing your concerns

4. What happens if a child discloses abuse to you?

5. Why have a child abuse prevention program?

6. Review of the ‘binder’ contents available online at

7. Ms. Michelle Hogan reviews the faith aspect of the curriculum 8. Tips for teachers

Part Two Contents:

  1. Information about reporting child abuse
  2. Curriculum objectives
  3. Common topics
  4. Private places
  5. Kinds of touches
  6. Types of child abuse
  7. Classroom management tips
  8. Lesson demonstration

Part Three Contents:

  1. Demonstration of lesson continues
  2. Questions and Answers
  3. Tips for presenting the lesson
  4. How to train others to give the lesson

This video series is a presentation of the Diocese of Wilmington’s Office for Safe Environments and Office for Religious Education, in conjunction with Prevent Child Abuse Delaware. A production of the Diocese of Wilmington’s Office of Communications.