The job of ensuring children's safety is a challenging undertaking. This safety program is designed to give children and youth the tools they need to help keep them safe by educating them regarding boundaries, safe and unsafe behaviors, and healthy relationships. The goal is to empower children to recognize unhealthy situations and confidently seek help from those who can intervene. The prevention of child sexual abuse requires more than adult awareness, education, and training about the nature and scope of the problem. Empowering God's Children program is a vehicle through which parents, teachers, catechists, and youth ministers give children and young people the tools they need to help protect themselves from those who might harm them.
The following links provide an overview of the Teaching Safety—Empowering God’s Children Program:
Each year, the program provides a theme that introduces and builds on the basic concepts of the Teaching Safety Guide. The material is developmentally appropriate for each age group and includes content and activities that reinforce the message. As a component of Faith Formation, children and youth along with parents/guardians, should complete one safety lesson per year. This year’s safety lesson is Lesson 4 and is entitled, “ Secrets, Surprises and Promises”. The grade appropriate lesson should be completed at home before April 17, 2026.
Completion of the lesson can be submitted via the form linked below. Additionally, parents/guardians also have the option of deciding not to introduce the lesson material to their children or youth. If you choose to opt-out of introducing "Empowering God's Children" topics, please do so via the "opt-out" form link below.
Scroll down for lesson resources, grade level video links, lesson completion link, and lesson opt-out link.
Empowering God's Children program grade level videos (gr. K-5) and (gr. 6-8) are at the bottom of this page. (the program videos remain the same through the yearly lessons)
Parent Resources for Teaching at Home
Lesson 4, "Secrets, Surprises and Promises," should be completed for the 2025-26 school year.