Holy Cross Parish
Standards for Pictures on the Website

Background:

Several concerns have been raised about the safety of Holy Cross children if their pictures are placed on the parish website. The concerns range from identity theft and stalking to child abduction. Whether these concerns are valid or not is not a decision that can be made by the parish. Instead, Holy Cross Parish has adopted a set of standards that must be followed when pictures of children are placed on the parish website. These standards are based on current laws, authoritative recommendations, and common practices as referenced below. Only two concerns are noted in these references: 1) when a child intentionally submits a picture to specific websites and 2) when a caption of demographic or personal information is listed with the picture.

Definitions:

• Image: an electronic picture file
• Resolution: the clarity of the image or density of color (ie. dots per inch) as measured in pixels
• Child: individual under the age of 18

Scope:

These standards apply to all pictures placed on www.holycrossparish.net that were taken either on Holy Cross property or at events sponsored by Holy Cross. This policy does not apply to commercially available photos placed on the website.

Policy:

1. Children are always photographed in a group, never a single child portrait.
2. Children are always appropriately clothed in all pictures.
3. Personal information about children, such as name, street address, e-mail address, phone number, social security number or any other identifiable information is not placed on the website in conjunction with the picture.
4. There will be no pictures of a priest alone with children.
5. Pictures that portray the use alcohol, either in the forefront or background, are not allowed on the website.
6. A photo release statement will be included in the parent handbook for both the school and religious education program. The terminology of the statement is consistent with that used by the Deerfield Park District and should read as follows:
   

   We may, at times, take pictures of the children while they are engaged in various activities. Our intention is to share the photos with the children, as well as possibly use them in displays and/or other communications including the parish website. If you do not want your children's picture taken, please notify the office staff or Pastoral Center in writing.

7. The image resolution should be no greater than 72 pixels/inch and the longest dimension no greater than 400 pixels (approximately 5.5 inches long).

References:
(colored text means that you can click on the reference to read it on-line)

1. The Children?s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998 Title XIII
2. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
3. FBI ? A Parent?s Guide to Internet Safety
4. A Web Policy Primer. American School Board Journal. 2001;July (cover story)
5. Deerfield Park District, Camp Policy 2005.