Child Safety Policy

 MASSILLON, OHIO

  

CHILD SAFETY POLICY

 

ADOPTED May 18, 2010

 STATEMENT OF INTENT

 Because we affirm that all children are a gift of God, created by God and created good;

 Because we believe that all children depend upon adults for safety and security in a world that does not always value children, all children are affected first and most deeply by those things that work against health and wellness;

 Because Jesus welcomed children and encouraged us to welcome them in his name, Jesus lifted up a child as an example of what the realm of God is like;

 Therefore, we hope for a world where all children can find a safe place; where all ages, races, genders, creeds and abilities are recognized, valued and celebrated; where all adults hear the voices of children and speak with as well as for them; where all children have “first call” on the world’s resources and first place in the minds and hearts of the world’s adults.

 Therefore, we hope for a church where we take seriously our baptismal vow to nurture all children committed to our care; where we bring good news to all those places where children are in need; where adults and children alike share in ministry.

 We covenant to act so that this vision may be made real for all children, now and in times to come.

Adopted from a Vision of Children and the Church, 205^th General Assembly (1993) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 We Won’t Let it Happen Here!

 

1. Procedures for Selecting and Screening Staff and Volunteers

    

2. Providing a Safe Environment

    

3. Helping Children Avoid Sexual Abuse

    

4. Providing on-going training and development for leaders and the congregation.

    

5. Safety Procedures for Church Activities

    

6. Directory of Resources

    

7. Awareness and Self Protection Curriculum for Children

    

8. References:

    

   1. Summary of National Child Protection Act of 1993

       

   2. Resources for Child Advocacy

       

9. APPENDIX I:

    

                                          i.    Volunteer Application Form

 

                                        ii.    Confidential Reference Form

 

                                       iii.    Incident Report Form

 

                                       iv.    Covenant Statement

 

                                        v.    Brochure for Parents

 

I.          We Won’t Let It Happen Here! Keeping Children Safe in Church[1]

 

Jesus taught us, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:5

 Jesus also said if any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones,.., it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18.6)

 Children are our present and our future, our teachers, our inspiration.  They are full participants in the life of the church and in the realm of God.  And yet, there were over one million children who were confirmed to have been abused or neglected in the United States in 1988 (the year for which most recent statistics are available).  Studies have estimated that one of three girls and one of seven boys is sexually abused before the age of 18.

 Tragically, churches have not always been safe places for children.  Child sexual abuse, exploitation and ritual abuse occur in churches, large and small, urban and rural.  The problem cuts across all economic, cultural and racial lines.

 Such incidents are devastating to all that are involved: the child, the family the local church, and its leaders.  Increasingly, churches are torn apart by the legal, emotional, and monetary consequences of litigation following allegations of abuse.

 It is a part of God’s plan and our response to God’s love and grace that each of God’s children be nurtured in faith and love.  It can be difficult for children to grow in faith and love and to know God’s love and grace when they are victims of child abuse. The church’s complicity in or failure to respond to such abuse makes the experience of faith and love less likely.  Our response must not be that “it can’t happen here” but “We won’t let it happen here!”

 As a result the congregation and staff of the Central Presbyterian Church of Massillon, Ohio are adopting the following policy for dealing with the protection of children and child abuse.  It is our intent that we will continuously review the needs of children and how we can better protect and nurture them in faith and love. 

 

Our strategy and implementation provides the following:

 

·         An ongoing plan for educating the congregation and the leaders on the reality of child abuse, risk factors leading to child abuse and strategies of prevention.

 

·         Procedures for screening staff and volunteers.

 

·         Safety precautions and procedures to be implemented

 

·         Procedures for reporting abuse

 

·         Directory of resources for children who have been abused and their families

 

·         Awareness and self-protection curriculum for children in the church.

 

·         Liability insurance that includes sexual abuse coverage.

 

II.            Procedures for Selecting and Screening Staff and Volunteers

 

The steps for screening include:

 

·         A completed application

 

·         References and reference checking,

 

·         A criminal background check,

 

·         An interview,

 

·         6 months of participation in the church,

 

·         A personal signed covenant supporting this policy,

 

·         Retention of files for volunteers and staff.

  

All volunteers who will be working with children or youth and all prospective staff members will be required to submit a written application that includes questions about whether the applicant has ever been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to a crime other than minor traffic violation or have charges against them at the time of the application. 

 

The application will also include a statement that authorizes the church to collect information regarding the applicant’s character and fitness for work with children and releases the church and those who provide information from liability in the gathering of information (except when someone knowingly communicates false information).  The applicant needs to sign and date the application.  Unsigned applications will not be considered. An application form is included in the Appendix.

  

Three references must be requested and the references must be people who know how the person interacts with children.  Reference request forms are also included in the Appendix.  References must be checked.  Previous employers, previous churches, and places where applicants have volunteered must be checked.

 

Final candidates will be interviewed, with questions about background and whether or not the person’s skills are suitable for the position.

 

Volunteers must have attended the Central Presbyterian Church for at least six months before they may volunteer to work with children and youth. 

  

Criminal background checks must be completed.  No one with a history of sexual misconduct or child abuse will be permitted to serve on staff or as a volunteer.

  

A file must be kept for every staff member that includes the applications, reference replies, the release forms, the background checks, the interview documents, and any performance records.  These files must be retained for at least seven years beyond the end of employment.

  

Volunteers who work with children must be at least 16 years old.

 

III.        PROVIDING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

 

Providing a safe environment:

 To provide required standards of care for the health and physical safety of our children, child-care staff, and volunteers; and, to provide resources for child safety so that the youth and caregivers are able to utilize the children’s ministry offerings worry-free.

 Rules to follow

 

            1. Two adults must be present with children and youth at all times.

 

While this two person rule is one of the cornerstones of this Child Safety     Policy, it is recognized that there may be times when due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control two adults may simply not be possible.  Therefore this Child Safety Policy will provide standards of care in situations when only one adult is present. 

 

2.  The church will not permit any activity involving children or youth unless                        adequate supervision is assured.

 

3. Guidelines for using the restroom are for Sunday School time and for children up to and including kindergarten.

 

·         If a classroom has 2 or more adult teachers and a child needs to use the restroom during Sunday School time, the child should be escorted to the closest bathroom by an adult.  The adult should stand outside the bathroom facility to wait for the child and return to the classroom together.  

 

·         If a classroom has only 1 adult teacher and a child needs to use the restroom during Sunday School time, the entire class will go as a group to the restroom.

 

·         If a bath rooming emergency occurs with a child, such as illness or incontinence, or child needs assistance with hygiene after using the bathroom, the child shall be taken to the nursery bathroom where another adult is present when assistance is being offered to the child using the bathroom and adequate supplies are present.

 Sunday School and Gateway to Worship:

  Currently Sunday School is offered at 9 a.m. for:

 

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten

 

                        Grades 1-4

 

                        Grades 5 -12

 

Gateway to Worship: during worship for those youth learning to participate in worship. 

 

1.    Adult to child ratio: There must be 1 adult per 10 children in a classroom or activity; 1 child with 1 adult is not permitted.  If this occurs, an alternate situation is required, such as the child joins another class or returns to worship.

 

2.    There will be at least two adults present at all times during any youth class or activity.

 

3.    When an activity requires additional adult supervision or assistance, adults who have not completed the screening process may participate when supervised by persons who have completed the screening process.

 

4.    With only one adult present in a class, a second adult must be present in another classroom on the same level of the church.  It is necessary that the classroom door be left open during the class or if the door is a half door, the top half will be left open. 

 

5.    Attendance will be taken for each Sunday there is a class in session during Sunday School or worship time.   Attendance records will be kept for two years. 

 

 

Nursery

 Nursery is for children from infants to 3 years old. Currently there is a part time paid staff member in the nursery on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.  Additional volunteers per the number of children in the nursery will be present on a given Sunday. 

 

1.    Adult to child ratio for the Nursery: There must be 1 adult per six (6) toddlers age 2-3 years old.  There must be 1 adult per four (4) infants up to 2 years old.  

 

2.    Adult workers may be 16 years or older and are guided by the Nursery Attendant who is the primary caregiver.

 

3.    There will be at least two adults present at all times during any youth class or activity. 

 

Each child shall have an information record on file in the nursery or classroom with contact information and pertinent child health information including allergies and medical conditions.

 

4.    A Parent or guardian must sign the child in and out of the nursery with each visit.

 

5.     Use of the pager system is recommended for the parents if they may need to be contacted during the worship or Sunday School time. 

 

6.    Infants and toddlers must be healthy to stay in the nursery.  A recommended list of signs of illness provided by the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services can be used as a guideline.

 

7.       Attendance will be taken each Sunday for all children who are in the nursery during the Sunday school and/or worship time.  Attendance records will be kept for two years

  

Youth activities that take place in the church:                      

 

1.    It is required that at least 2 adults be in attendance per youth class or activity, especially if there are no other activities going on in the church at the same time.

 

2.    Security:  The outside doors should be re-locked once all the youth have arrived for the activity.  This will prevent others from entering the church that are not part of the youth activity.  The outside doors shall be relocked at least 15 minutes after the start of the youth activity. 

 

3.    If a youth leaves the church during a youth activity, an adult should:

 

a.     Follow the youth to insure their safety as long as it does not put the adult in a harmful situation, and attempt to return the youth to the church.

 

b.    If this leaves only one adult with the group then call the youth parents or guardian to inform them that the youth has left the church activity.  If the child is in harm of hurting themselves or others, call 911. 

 

4.    Attendance will be taken for all youth activities and attendance records will be kept for two years.   

 

5.    An informational sheet or card needs to be completed with personal and contact information about each youth attending any youth activities.  This information should preferably be completed by the parent or guardian.  However, it can be completed by the individual youth.

 

 

 

 

 

Youth Activities that take place outside of the church:

 

            1.     It is required that at least 2 adults be in attendance per youth class or        activity that takes place outside of the church. 

 

2.    There will be no one-on-one contact between adults and youth.  In situations that require personal conferences, the meeting is to be conducted in view of other adults and youths. 

 

3.    Respect for privacy.  Adult leaders must respect the privacy of the youth in situations such as changing clothes and taking showers at a facility away from the church, and intrude only to the extent that health and safety require.  Adults must protect their own privacy in similar situations.

 

4.    When staying at overnight accommodations it is strongly recommended to have separate shower and restroom facilities for females and males.  When separate facilities are not available, separate times for male and female use should be scheduled and posted for showers.  

 

5.    When traveling, a common departure site and daily destination point are a must.  It is required to have 2 adult volunteers.  One of the two adults must have completed the screening process.  The second adult does not have to have completed the screening process. The minimum required number of youth in a vehicle is two.  There shall never be one adult with one youth while in a vehicle, unless it is a parent/guardian of his or her own child.

 

 

IV.       HELPING CHILDREN AVOID SEXUAL ABUSE

 To be developed.

 

 

V.           ON-GOING TRAINING PLAN FOR CONGREGATION & LEADERS

 

The initial and continuing education of both the congregation and the leaders of the church is essential for the success of this policy.  An annual review of the training and materials for this effort should be completed.

 

 

Education Plan

  

A.  An introduction to this Policy will be provided for the following:

 

1.    Session

 

2.    Congregation

 

3.    Children’s Sunday School and Bible School teachers

 

B.   Attend the “Rivertree Christian Church” (or a similar program) 6 hour training session once a year.  The price of the training is $20/person.

 

4. Heads of each program: PALS, Nursery, and the Director of Education.

 

C.   Children’s education by Shannon Baker

 

D.   Other Inclusions

 

1.    Review covenant statement.

 

2.      Mandatory obligation to report an incident to Family Services.

  

1. Educating the Congregation

 

                        A.  Booklet ‑ Child Abuse and Neglect

 

                        B.  Children's Services Public information Fact Sheet

 

                        C.  Rivertree Christian School ‑ Child Abuse and Prevention Training ‑ 6 hours Certification $20.00

 

D.  Stark County Children Services ‑ Choice of 2 or 3-hour training session ‑ No Charge.  Contact person: Norma Thorpe ‑ 330‑451‑8927

 

E.  Detective Bobby Grizzard ‑Massillon Police Department ‑ 330‑830‑1754 ‑ $50.00 charge. Saturday ‑ 1 1/2 hours

 

F. Video ‑Hear Their Cries ‑Definition of abuse, signs of recognizing abuse, and examples of how to respond. Cost $129.00

 

                        G. Confidential Information Report Form

  

2. Risk Factors Leading to Child Abuse

 

                        A.        Lack of parenting skills

 

                        B.        Excessive stress within the home

 

                        C.        Isolation from the support of family and friends

 

                        D.        Ten percent of abusive or neglectful parents suffer from serious mental disorders.

 

                  E.      Reasons why parents abuse or neglect their children areas varied as             

 

 

 

3. Strategies of Prevention

 

                        A.        Video ‑ Bless Our Children: Preventing Sexual Abuse. This is a story of one congregation’s efforts to provide abuse prevention information for their children.             Cost $99.00 (Both videos would cost $185.00)

 

                        B.       Booklet ‑ We Won't Let It Happen Here 1 Page 25 ‑ Helping Children    Avoid Sexual Abuse

 

                        C.        Rules to follow

 

                                    a. Two adults together at all times                        

 

                                    b. Six months at church before volunteering    

 

                                    c. Fingerprinting

 

  

IV.          SAFETY PROCEDURES FOR CHURCH ACTIVITIES

 

 

Environmental Safety

 

1.     An environmental safety checklist is provided for the nursery and all children’s classrooms and must be checked biannually. This safety list checks for maintenance, cleaning, and Health (infection) issues within the rooms used for youth activities and nursery care.

 

2.    There must be a First Aid Kit and working flashlight to be located in the following rooms:  Nursery, Second floor (central location), Kitchen, Deacon’s closet, and/or Church Office. The First Aid Kits should be checked annually.

 

3.    There will be a written and child friendly  exit route for each classroom posted within the classroom in case of fire and weather emergencies. 

 

4.    On the exit route, the locations of the fire extinguishers within the building will be indicated.

 

5.    Weekly Nursery environmental safety guidelines:

 

a.     Nursery toys shall be cleaned and sanitized after each use or as indicated on the cleaning chart as described by the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services.  The toy furniture, shelves, toy containers, and larger toys should be cleaned and sanitized at a minimum on a biannual basis and anytime there is a reported contagious sickness of a child who has been in the nursery and when a toy is visibly soiled.   Cloth toys are not recommended due inability to sanitize.

 

b.    Table surfaces will be sanitized before and after children eat.  Food served will be placed on a napkin to avoid touching the table surface. 

 

c.    Gloves will be worn by child-care workers when providing bathroom care, care for a child who has been injured, changing diapers, and any other possible body fluid exposure.  Diapers must be disposed of in plastic bags and placed in an area away from the play area. 

 

d.    Child safety belts will be used when using high chairs, booster chairs, and changing tables equipped with a belt. 

 

e.    Daily cleaning of daily used items:  cups, table, cribs, potty chair, high chairs or other child seating, and changing table.   The changing table must have a surface that can be easily sanitized using a non-aerosol sanitizer after each use.  Aerosols may be used when children are not present.

 

f.     Sweeping and cleaning of bathroom facilities will be completed by the custodian.

 

g.    Hand washing procedures should be established for child-care workers.  The use of hand sanitizers is permissible as long as the sanitizer is not in reach of children.

 

h.    h. A current list of childcare workers who are certified in CPR and First       Aid shall be posted.

 

 

 

Attachment 1

 

 

 

 

Location of Fire Extinguishers:

 

       1. Entrance area to PALS classroom      

 

       2. Kitchen: right hand side of the serving window       

 

       3. West Kitchen entrance at the bottom of the steps    

 

       4. East Dining room entrance.

 

       5. North and South entrance to the narthex first floor.

 

       6. Second floor: top of stairs at he East and West end of the hall.

 

 

 

 

 

Location of First Aid Kits        

 

       1. Deacons closet on the first floor next to the handicap elevator      2. Nursery kitchenette area in the cupboard above the sink

 

       3. Kitchen near the phone.

 

       4. PALS room.

 

       5. Second floor middle classroom storage closet.