Child Safe Policy – Palace Church

Palace Church Child Safety Policy

Palace Church seeks to provide a safe and secure environment for the children who participate in our programs and activities. By implementing the below practices, our goal is to protect the children of Palace Church from incidents of misconduct or inappropriate behavior while also protecting our staff and volunteers (workers) from false accusations.

Definitions

For purposes of this policy, the terms “child” or “children” include all persons under the age of eighteen (18) years. The term “worker” includes both paid and unpaid persons who work with children. The term “volunteer” means anyone involved in daycare or school, in overnight activities involving minors, in counseling of minors, or in one-on-one mentoring of minors.

The Two‐Adult Rule

The Two‐Adult Rule states that there must always be two adults present when supervising one or more children. This rule is designed for the safety of children as well as adults and is required across all ministry areas with few exceptions (see guidelines for these cases below). Planning ahead will help avoid the potential of being alone with one or more children. Compliance to the two‐adult rule includes the following:

There must always be two volunteer approved adults present when supervising one or more children.
The adults should be in sight of each other at all times.

Exceptions to the Two‐Adult Rule

The purpose of the Two‐Adult Rule is to make sure the actions of any one leader are known to at least one other leader and to encourage leaders to support each other in ministry.

Guidelines for exceptions to the Two‐Adult Rule follow this same idea—that even when only one adult is present, the actions of that leader are known and visible to others. This is accomplished by visible and public locations, as well as communication with other ministry staff.

Unplanned Situations with Only One Adult

Occasionally, leaders will find themselves without another adult present due to unforeseen circumstances. The following procedures should be followed.

Immediately inform the Team leader of Children’s Ministry or a pastoral staff if the leader is not available
Visible location‐‐For any time when there is only one adult present, the group must be in a location that is visible to others with an unobstructed window, open door, etc.

Youth Serving as Leaders

We encourage older children to serve as leaders for children in younger grades. A youth leader, age 14 or older, may count as an adult under the Two‐Adult Rule.

Selection of Workers

All persons who desire to work with the children participating in our programs and activities will be screened. This screening includes the following:

a) Six Month Rule
No person will be considered for any volunteer position involving contact with minors until she/he has been involved with Palace Church for a minimum of six (6) months. This time of interaction between our leadership and the applicant allows for better evaluation and suitability of the applicant for working with children. Any exception to this rule will require approval by the elders.
b) Written Application
Persons seeking to work with children may be required to complete and sign a written application in a form to be supplied by us. The application will request basic information from the applicant and will inquire into a previous experience with children and reference, as well as disclosure of any previous criminal convictions. The application form will be maintained in confidence on file at the Palace Church
c) Personal Interview
Upon completion of the application, a face-to-face interview may also be scheduled with the applicant to discuss his/her suitability for the position.
d) Reference Checks
Before an applicant is permitted to work with children, at least two of the applicants’ references will be required. These references should be of an institutional nature as opposed to personal or family references, preferably from organizations where the applicant has worked with children in the past. Documentation of the reference checks will be maintained in confidence on file at Palace Church

Criminal Background Check

A national criminal background check is required for all employees (regardless of position) and “volunteers” as defined above.

By requesting to work/volunteer at Palace Church, prospective workers give consent to Palace church authorization to run a background check.

A disqualifying offense that will keep an individual from working with children will be determined by the board of Palace Church on a case-by-case basis in light of all the surrounding circumstances. Generally, convictions for an offense involving children and/or for offenses involving violence, dishonesty, illegal substances, indecency and any conduct contrary to our mission will preclude someone from being permitted to work with children. Failure to disclose a criminal conviction on the application form will also be a disqualifying event.

The background check authorization form and results will be maintained in confidence on file at Palace Church

Responding to Allegations of Child Abuse

For purposes of this policy, “child abuse” is any action (or lack of action) that endangers or harms a child’s physical, psychological or emotional health and development. Child abuse occurs in different ways and includes the following:

Physical abuse – any physical injury to a child that is not accidental, such as beating, shaking, burns, and biting.
Emotional abuse – emotional injury when the child is not nurtured or provided with love and security, such as an environment of constant criticism, belittling and persistent teasing.
Sexual abuse – any sexual activity between a child and an adult or between a child and another child at least four years older than the victim, including activities such as fondling, exhibitionism, intercourse, incest, and pornography.
Neglect – depriving a child of his or her essential needs, such as adequate food, water, shelter, and medical care.

Childcare workers may have the opportunity to become aware of abuse or neglect of the children under our care. In the event that an individual involved in the care of children at Palace Church become aware of suspected abuse or neglect of a child under his/her care, this should be reported immediately to the elders for further action, including reporting to authorities as may be mandated by state law.

In the event that an incident of abuse or neglect is alleged to have occurred at Palace Church or during our sponsored programs or activities, the following procedure shall be followed:

The parent or guardian of the child will be notified.
The worker or church member alleged to be the perpetrator of the abuse or misconduct will immediately be placed on leave pending an investigation and instructed to remain away from the premises during the investigation. He or she should be instructed to have no contact with the victim or with witnesses.
All allegations of abuse should be reported to the civil authorities, and the organization will comply with the state’s requirements regarding mandatory reporting of abuse as the law then exists. The organization will fully cooperate with the investigation of the incident by civil authorities.
The insurance company will be notified, and the organization will complete an incident report. Any documents received relating to the incident and/or allegations will immediately be forwarded to the insurance company.
The organization will designate a spokesperson to the media concerning incidents of abuse or neglect. The advice of legal counsel will be sought before responding to media inquiries or releasing information about the situation to the congregation. All other representatives of the organization should refrain from speaking to the media.
A pastoral visit will be arranged for those who desire it. This should be for the purpose of providing pastoral support during the time of crisis and not for the purpose of investigating the incident or influencing the investigation.
Any person who is not found innocent of the alleged abuse or misconduct will be removed from their position working with children or youth.

Open Door Policy

Classroom doors should remain open unless there is a window in the door or a side window beside it. Doors should never be locked while persons are inside the room.

Teenage Workers

We recognize that there may be times when it is necessary or desirable for babysitters (paid or volunteer) who are themselves under age 18 to assist in caring for children during programs or activities. The following guidelines apply to teenage workers:

Must be at least age 14.
Must be screened as specified above.
Must be under the supervision of an adult and must never be left alone with children

Check-in/Check-out Procedure

For children below third grade, a security check-in/check-out procedure will be followed. The child will be signed in by a parent or guardian, who will receive a “child check” for the child similar to a claim check. The parent or guardian must present the “child check” in order to sign out the child from our care. In the event that a parent or guardian is unable to present the “child check,” an elder will be contacted. The elder with one witness who shall be a member of the pastoral team will be responsible for releasing the child to the care of a parent or guardian after discussing the surrounding circumstances with the parent or guardian.

Sick Child Policy

It is our desire to provide a healthy and safe environment for all of the children at Palace Church. Parents are encouraged to be considerate of other children when deciding whether to place a child under our care. In general, children with the following symptoms should NOT be dropped off.

Fever, diarrhea, or vomiting within the last 48 hours;
Green or yellow runny nose;
Eye or skin infections; and/or
Other symptoms of communicable or infectious disease.

Children who are observed by our workers to be ill will be separated from other children and the parent or guardian will be contacted to request that the child be picked up for the day.

Medications Policy

It is the policy of Palace Church not to administer either prescription or non-prescription medications to the children under our care. Medications should be administered by a parent at home. Parents are reminded of our sick child policy.

Exceptions to the medications policy may be granted to parents of children with potentially life-threatening conditions (such as asthma or severe allergic reactions). Parents of such children should address their situation with the children’s department team leader to develop a plan of action.

Discipline

The number one rule in ministry with children is that Each of us is a Child of God and should be treated with the kind of respect, love, and support that is expected by the commandment in Scripture to love one another.

Clear rules and expectations and consistent messages about behavior are the key to effective discipline procedures. Occasionally, children have trouble following the rules or display disruptive behavior. In these cases, the following steps will be taken.

The teacher or leader will talk with the child and state clearly what the problem behavior is and what the child should do instead. For a younger child, the leader will attempt to redirect the child to another activity.
If the child continues to exhibit problem behavior, the teacher/leader will give a warning to the child and have the program or ministry area leader talk individually to the child.
Upon the third warning, the child will be removed from the activity and a parent will be contacted. Unless otherwise discussed with a parent, the child will be welcomed back at the next ministry activity.

Zero Tolerance

There will be zero tolerance for behavior that is deemed out of control by the teacher or leader.

Behavior deemed out of control will result in immediate removal of the child from the ministry activity and personal family contact by the Ministry Staff.
If the offense is an illegal activity, the police will be contacted.
The child may be suspended from ministry activities for an amount of time determined by the Director of Children’s Ministry.
The child and family will be treated with respect and love, and the child will be welcomed back to ministry activities after the suspension period provided he/she is ready to respect the rules of the ministry.

Physical Contact

Respect, safety, and appropriate boundaries are the guiding principles for physical contact between ministry leaders and children. The guidelines below are intended to avoid contact that is or may appear threatening or inappropriate.

Love and affection are part of church life and ministry. There are many ways to demonstrate affection while maintaining positive and safe boundaries with children and youth. Examples of positive and appropriate forms of affection:

Brief hugs or side hugsPats on the shoulder or back
Handshakes
High‐fives, hand slapping, and fist taps
Verbal praise
Touching hands, faces, shoulders, and arms of children or youth
Arm around shoulders
Holding hands while walking with small children
Sitting beside small children
Kneeling or bending down for hugs with small children
Holding hands during group prayer

The following forms of affection are considered inappropriate with children and youth in ministry. Many of these behaviors are used by child molesters to groom children or youth and their parents for later molestation. Others may be considered to be sexual abuse.

Inappropriate or lengthy embraces
Kisses
Holding children over three years old on the lap
Touching bottoms, chests or genital areas other than for appropriate diapering or toileting of infants and toddlers
Showing affection in isolated areas such as bedrooms, closets, staff only areas or other private rooms
Occupying a bed with a child or youth
Touching knees or legs of children or youth
Wrestling with children or youth
Tickling children or youth
Piggyback Rides
Any type of massage given by a child or youth to an adult
Any type of massage given by an adult to a child or youth
Any form of unwanted affection
Comments or compliments (spoken, written, or electronic) that relate to physique or body development
Snapping bras or giving wedgies or a similar touch of underwear whether or not it is covered by other clothing
Giving gifts or money to individual children or youth
Private meals with individual children or youth
Any other activity Palace Church deems to be inappropriate

Sleepovers

There are no sleepover activities for children in Preschool through Grade 6.

Communication Outside of Usual Ministry Functions:

All communication to preschool and kindergarten children should be through the parents. Leaders of children may call children in their program if the leader first talks to the parent and gets verbal permission. Leaders may send notes to children on postcards (not in envelopes). Leaders of children may e‐mail children only if the leader also cc’s the parent. Leaders of children should not contact children through Instant Messaging, social networking sites, text messaging, or other forms of electronic communication except phone and email.

Threats of Violence Against Others or to Harm Self

Leaders may receive information that a child or other person has thoughts or desires to harm themselves or others. This information should be taken seriously and should be reported immediately to the Director of Children’s Ministry or a Pastor. If the child seems to have the imminent intent to do harm, a leader or volunteer should stay with the child and call 911.

Criminal or Potentially Dangerous Activity

A leader should call 911 or local emergency number immediately in cases of suspected criminal or dangerous activities on the church campus or near ministry activities.

Screening and Training

Screening and Training can be done in any order, but all components are required to become an approved Children’s Ministry Volunteer. You only need to complete these tasks once to become approved. There is no annual recertification required.

Screening and training include:

Attending a 1-hour training “Safeguarding God’s Children for Parents & Congregations” and “Safeguarding God’s Children for Ministries”
Reviewing, understanding and agreeing to Palace Church’s child safe Policy
May be required to Complete an application for “Adults Working with Children and Youth”, providing references which will be checked
Completing a criminal background check.

Restroom Guidelines

Children five years of age and younger should use a classroom bathroom if one is available. If a classroom bathroom is not available, workers should escort a group of children to the hallway bathroom. They should always go in a group, never taking a child to the bathroom alone. The workers should check the bathroom first to make sure that it is empty, and then allow the children inside. The workers should then remain outside the bathroom door and escort the children back to the classroom. If a child is taking longer than seems necessary, the worker should open the bathroom door and call the child’s name. If a child requires assistance, the workers should prop open the bathroom door, and leave the stall door open as they assist the child.

For children over the age of five, at least one adult male should take boys to the restroom and at least one adult female should take girls. The worker should check the bathroom first to make sure that the bathroom is empty, and then allow the children inside. The worker should then remain outside the bathroom door and escort the children back to the classroom.

For the protection of all, workers should never be alone with a child in a bathroom with the door closed and never be in a closed bathroom stall with a child. Parents are strongly encouraged to have their children visit the bathroom prior to each class.

Accidental Injuries to Children

In the event that a child or youth is injured while under our care, the following steps should be followed:

For minor injuries, scrapes, and bruises, workers will provide First Aid (Band-Aids, etc.) as appropriate and will notify the child’s parent or guardian of the injury at the time the child is picked up from our care.
For injuries requiring medical treatment beyond simple First Aid, the parent and/or guardian will immediately be summoned in addition to the worker’s supervisor. If warranted by circumstances, an ambulance will be called.
Once the child has received appropriate medical attention, an incident report will be completed in the case of injuries requiring treatment by a medical professional.
An incident report form should be filed between 24- 48 following the incident.

Training

Palace Church will provide training on this child protection policy to all new childcare workers and will strive to provide opportunities for additional training classes or events on an annual basis. All workers are strongly encouraged to attend these training events.