Protect Our Children

Saint Thomas More Parish and School are deeply committed to creating a safe, sacred, and nurturing environment for our children, youth, and the vulnerable. In cooperation with the Office of Child and Youth Protection of the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph, we remain proactive in maintaining environments that are above reproach and holding one another accountable to these values.

Report Abuse or Suspected Abuse

The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has a sincere commitment to combatting sexual abuse in the Church and providing care and healing resources to victims and their families.

If you are a victim of sexual abuse, or if you observe or suspect the abuse of a minor:

  1. Call Law Enforcement: Contact your local law enforcement agency or call 911 immediately.

  2. Call the State Hotline: Call the Missouri Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-392-3738 (if the victim is currently under the age of 18).

  3. Contact the Diocesan Victim Advocate: For care, support, and healing resources, please contact the Victim Advocate at 816-392-0011 or email victimadvocate@diocesekcsj.org.

Requirements for Adult Volunteers & Staff

To safeguard our community, anyone working in a supervisory capacity with minors on a regular basis must be at least 21 years of age and complete the Diocesan Protecting God's Children requirements. We also strongly encourage any parishioner open to assisting with youth ministries to complete this training.

Mandatory Compliance Protocol

The following steps must be completed via Virtus Online BEFORE any interaction with minors:

  1. Application & References: Complete a volunteer/employment application, including references (essential for new volunteers, those joining new ministries, or assisting new employees).

  2. Ethics and Integrity in Ministry (EIM): Create an account at virtus.org, read the four-part EIM policy, and answer the review questions (takes approximately 10–15 minutes total).

  3. Background Check: Submit to a diocesan-paid background screening via the Virtus portal.

  4. Live Training Workshop: Register for and attend a 3-hour Protecting God's Children (PGC) workshop session. This must be completed within 60 days of starting service. (Note: Please ensure you register under the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, MO, not Kansas City, KS).

Requirements for Older Youth Volunteers

We welcome and encourage our older youth to assist with younger children in our parish community, subject to the following safety protocols:

  • Workshop Attendance: Youth are encouraged to attend the Protecting God's Children workshop, but must have written parental permission to do so.

  • Code of Conduct: Youth under the age of 18 cannot undergo a background check. Instead, they must complete and sign a youth Code of Conduct form, which must also be co-signed by a parent and returned to our Safe Environment Coordinator.

Safe Environment Contacts

If you have questions about your compliance status, need assistance navigating the Virtus website, or want to submit forms, please reach out to our coordinators:

  • Parish Safe Environment Coordinator (SEC) Joan Sandford

    Phone: (816) 552-5313

    Email: joan@stmkc.com

  • School Safe Environment Coordinator (SEC) Saint Thomas More School Office

    Phone: (816) 942-5581