BishopAccountability.org
	Changes Have Been Made in the Church By Judge Nick Kuntz Cincinnati Enquirer April 26, 2010 http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100426/EDIT03/4250367/1019/EDIT/Changes+have+been+made+in+the+church One of the greatest responsibilities adults ever face is the protection of children under their care. That is a duty that falls heavily upon those who minister in the name of the Catholic Church because children are entrusted to the Church in so many ways - in schools, in religious education, in Scouting, on field trips and in sports. Parents have a right to expect that their children are as safe as humanly possible in all of these situations. In earlier years, the Church's actions to prevent crimes against children under its care and the reactions to abuse when it happened were often inadequate or worse. I can assure you, as chair of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Child Protection Review Board, that things have changed. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has in place a series of policies, procedures and recommendations known as the Decree on Child Protection. The first version, then called the Decree on Child Abuse, took effect in 1993. Since then the Decree has been revised every five years in the light of experience to make it an even more effective vehicle for ensuring the safety of children. Suggestions for improvements are always welcome. The Decree on Child Protection has served us well and I believe the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is committed to enforcing its policies and procedures. All clerics, employees and volunteers who work regularly with children in Archdiocesan parishes, schools, agencies, offices and institutions are to be trained in its provisions. The Archdiocese reports that more than 85,000 persons have been trained since 1993. And since 2003, I am told, more than 68,000 adults have had criminal background checks performed, including 52,400 currently working with children. The Archdiocese has reported spending almost $3 million on child protection efforts in that period. In addition, since 2003 through last school year, a total of 36,929 students, 816 parents and 632 school staff members at 119 schools have taken part in the school-based "Partnering to Protect Children" child abuse and peer abuse prevention program conducted by the Council on Child Abuse under contract from the Archdiocese. This program has had many positive results, including 255 disclosures of family or other concerns; 61 disclosures of current, previous or possible sexual abuse; 41 reports to Children's Services; and 36 disclosures of current, previous or possible physical abuse. Many child abuse survivors over the years courageously have come forward to make reports, and have helped the Church to understand the consequences of child abuse. To them I express my gratitude.
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