Children’s Personal Safety Instruction

Catholic schools and parish faith formation and youth ministry programs throughout the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis began teaching children about personal safety and sexual abuse prevention in 2006. These personal safety instruction lessons continue during the 2009-2010 school year and will continue in future years.

The personal safety programs involve four 30 to 40 minute lessons per year per grade for Catholic school children and two 30 to 40 minute lessons per year per grade for children in parish faith formation and youth ministry programs. All lessons need to be taught onsite. Click here to see an outline of approved curriculum choices.

• The programs are age-appropriate and respect parents’ role as their children’s primary educators.
• Parents have an opportunity to review all program materials before their children receive instruction.
• Parents may sign a form to opt their children out of personal safety instruction.

Please contact your child's school or faith formation office for more details about what program is being offered at your child's site.


Additional Resources (Documents)

• Principles for Child Protection Catechesis
• Recommended Curricula for Children and Young People
• Detailed Outline of Recommended Curricula
• NetSmartz Technology Standards

Correlations of Personal Safety Curriculum to the Archdiocesan Religion Standards

This section outlines the foundational doctrinal and catechetical principles common for all of the educational materials that support the Protection of Child and Youth Initiative for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. It also includes specific content alignments for the recommended age-specific safe environment curricula. These are offered to assist catechists, parents, pastors, and catechetical leaders in parishes and schools as they continue to incorporate the personal safety instruction as natural opportunities to connect faith and life through their ongoing efforts in religious education and faith formation.

• Introduction to Correlations of Personal Safety Curriculum to the Archdiocesan Religion Standards
• Correlations of Talking about Touching to the Archdiocesan Religion Standards
• Correlations of Family Safety Fair Kit to the Archdiocesan Religion Standards
• Correlations of NetSmartz: Know the Rules to the Archdiocesan Religion Standards
• Correlations of Out of Harm's Way to the Archdiocesan Religion Standards
• Correlations of Power of Parents: Real World and Internet Safety to the Archdiocesan Religion Standards
• Correlations of Breaking the Silence to the Archdiocesan Religion Standards High School Catechetical Curriculum
• Correlations of Creating Safe and Sacred Places to the ArchdiocesanReligion Standards

Additional Personal Safety Instruction Materials

• For Parish Faith Formation and Youth Ministry Programs – Please click here to read more about additional personal safety instruction materials for parish faith formation programs. Please click here to order additional materials online.
• For Catholic Schools – Please click here to read more about additional personal safety instruction materials for schools. Please click here to order supplemental materials online.

Parent Guides for Families New to Catholic School, Parish Faith Formation, or Youth Ministry Programs

Since 2005, the Archdiocese has provided a Parent Guide for parishes and schools to distribute to families new to Catholic school, faith formation or youth ministry programs. Please click here to order Parent Guides or download a form to fax or mail to the PCYI office.


School, Faith Formation and Youth Ministry Programs Opt Out Information

Each year, bishops are required to give materials to parents who opt their children out of personal safety instruction in Catholic school and parish programs. These parents are asked to read and share the materials with their children at their discretion.

School and parish catechetical leaders must fill out an Opt Out Summary Form in order to receive the materials to give to parents opting their children out of personal safety instruction. Catechetical leaders may find the form in the PCYI Resource Book, August 2007, Section IV, Page 11. Alternatively, the form may be completed online by clicking here. Or, leaders may download a form to fax or mail to the PCYI Office by clicking here.