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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION MINISTRY

 

 

CHILDREN, YOUTH AND ADULT

VOLUNTEER SAFETY POLICY

 

KIRK OF KILDAIRE PRESBYTERIAN

CARY, NORTH CAROLINA

 

 

APPROVED BY SESSION

AUGUST 10, 2003

Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian is a community of faith.  We proclaim the risen Christ as Lord and Savior and gather in response to His grace.  We believe that we are commissioned by God in this time and place to faithfully serve God's purposes.  To this end, we take seriously our responsibility to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children, youth, and adults who participate in our ministries. All volunteers involved in our Christian Education Ministry are living out the vows we take in baptism to nurture our children and youth in the Christian faith. Every adult volunteer plays a key role in fostering spiritual development of individuals and families in our church community.

The primary purposes of this Policy are to prevent child abuse and to protect adult volunteers from false accusations.  In an effort to provide a safe community for adult volunteers, children and youth, the church requires volunteers to commit themselves to the Children, Youth and Adult Volunteer Safety Policy adopted by the Session of this church. In doing so, you are asked to review this Policy and understand that while you are volunteering for the Children and Youth Ministry you will be under the supervision of the Director of Christian Education, Christian Education Elders, or the Sunday School Superintendent.  The following statements reflect the commitment of the Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian to seek to provide a safe environment for all children, youth and adult volunteers who participate in church-sponsored ministries.

This policy does not apply to the Children’s Center or any other organization that uses the Kirk for its activities.  Additionally, this Policy does not apply to confirmands, their mentors, and any counseling provided by the Pastor or Associate Pastor, because these activities are typically one-on-one activities.

For the purpose of this Policy, the following definitions shall be adopted:

Adult – any individual who is 21 years of age or older and volunteers as an adult leader or assistant in the Kirk’s Christian Education Ministry.

Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian – hereinafter referred to as “Kirk”.

Children and Youth Ministry – hereinafter referred to as “CYM”.

Children, Youth and Adult Volunteer Safety Policy – hereinafter referred to as “Policy”.

Director of Christian Education – hereinafter referred to as “DCE”.

Volunteer – hereinafter considered an adult who meets the age requirements listed above.

YOUR COMMITMENT AS A KIRK VOLUNTEER

As an adult volunteer at the Kirk, I will conduct my life in a manner that will support the CYM of the Kirk as delineated and quoted in items 1-5 below from the “Life Together in the Community of Faith: Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees and Volunteers of the Presbyterian Church (USA)”.  I will:

            1. Be honest and truthful in my relationships with others;

            2. Treat all persons with equal respect and concern;

3. Maintain a healthy balance among the responsibilities of my position, my commitments to family and other primary relationships, and my need for spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual renewal;

4. Refrain from abusive, addictive, or exploitative behavior and seek help to overcome such behavior if it occurs; and

            5. Refrain from gossip and abusive speech.

THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS MUST BE OBSERVED BY ALL ADULT VOLUNTEERS IN CYM

Every person desiring to participate in these ministries as an adult volunteer must read this policy and inherently agree to it by virtue of committing their time to CYM. 

A. If the individual who wishes to volunteer in the CYM is a non-member of the Kirk, or has been a member of the Kirk for less than 6 months prior to volunteering, the individual shall only participate in any CYM role initially as an assistant for any CYM activity.

B. All volunteers must observe the "two-adult" rule. This requires that adults are never alone with children or youth without an adult partner, or in a place that would be out of view of another adult.

C. Any person who is currently under investigation for, or who has been convicted of, (1) criminal sexual conduct, (2) neglect of a child, or (3) physical abuse to a child or adult shall not be permitted to serve as a volunteer in any church-sponsored activity or program for CYM.

D. Volunteers are required to report immediately any behavior which seems inappropriate or abusive to the Pastor or Associate Pastor, DCE, or Christian Education Elder(s).


VOLUNTEER PROCEDURES

In order to protect the children, youth and adult volunteers of our church, no adult volunteer shall ever be alone with a child or youth, or out of the sight of another adult.

On-site procedures

A. In the classroom, there shall be at least two volunteers at all times, except as noted below and in the classrooms that are staffed by paid childcare providers.

B. Each floor containing classrooms shall be monitored by the Sunday School Superintendent or DCE who shall be present during Sunday school hours.

C. In the event a child needs to use the bathroom, the child (if first through fifth grade) shall choose a same sex "buddy" to accompany him/her. Children in kindergarten and younger classes shall use the bathroom facilities located in each classroom.  In the event the classroom bathroom is in use, then the child should attempt to wait until the classroom bathroom is available.  If this isn’t possible, then the adult shall take the child to use one of the classroom bathrooms in an adjacent room where other adults are present.  If adult volunteer assistance is needed in helping children three years of age and younger with bathroom usage, the bathroom door shall remain ajar at all times during its occupancy by the child and adult volunteer.

D. In the event of having only one adult volunteer working with children and/or youth, the classroom door shall remain open at all times.  In classrooms where the children are three years of age and younger, and there is only one adult volunteer (and combining classes would result in an excess of 8 children per adult), a child gate shall be securely placed at the open door thus preventing any child from exiting the classroom unattended.  In classrooms where children are four years of age through first grade, and there is only one adult volunteer, and no last minute adult volunteer can be recruited to assist, the class will be cancelled and an announcement made in the Sanctuary for parents to pick up their child(ren) immediately.

Off-site procedures

A. The two-adult rule shall apply to all church CYM events.

B. Overnights: Males and females shall be segregated during sleeping time at all overnight activities or retreats.  In the event separate sleeping accommodations are not available, the adult volunteers shall separate the children/youth as much as practical and remain with them at all times.

When it is necessary for adults to share sleeping accommodations with the children/ youth, ordinarily a minimum of two adults (the same sex as the children/youth to be chaperoned) shall sleep in each area.

C. In addition to this Policy, the requirements set forth in the Kirk of Kildaire Youth Connection Guidebook, November 2000, shall be followed at all times by youth and adults participating in youth activities.

 

INITIAL REPORTING OF SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

A. Any suspicious activity brought to the attention of a volunteer must be reported immediately to the appropriate person or persons.  The volunteer(s) reporting such suspicious activity shall include what, when, where and how, and the date, time and circumstances as to why the report is being made.  Such information shall be documented in B. below.

B. The appropriate person or persons to make this report to are:

·         Pastor or Associate Pastor

·         DCE

·         Responsible Christian Education Elder(s)

All allegations shall be taken seriously.  Be gentle and protective of both victim and alleged abuser, as well as sensitive to the volunteer(s) making the accusation. Document what, when, where and how, and the date, time and circumstances under which the report was made. Interview all appropriate persons.

C. The person receiving the initial report of suspicious activity will report immediately to the Pastor or Associate Pastor, who will immediately inform the DCE, responsible Christian Education Elder(s), church legal counsel, and the church insurer. 

D. The responsible Christian Education Elder(s), DCE, and Pastor or Associate Pastor shall determine if further action should be taken.  The Pastor or Associate Pastor will contact Presbytery as appropriate.

E. The alleged abuser will be required to refrain from all children and youth activities until it is determined if further action shall be taken. In any removal of an alleged person from any children and youth activity, care should be taken to handle this in a discreet manner, recognizing that an investigation is still being conducted.

F. After reviewing the reported circumstances, if the appropriate person receiving the report and the Pastor or Associate Pastor determine that there is reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect, then further action shall be taken as appropriate.

G. If the alleged person is a member of the pastoral staff, then the Pastor or Associate Pastor not involved in the allegations shall participate in making the determination.

H. If no reasonable cause is determined, persons making this decision have the option to recommend another appropriate action, e.g., further investigation, a review of process in that program, and further education in identifying and responding to suspicious activity.

 

RESPONDING TO ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE OR NEGLECT

If it is determined that there is reasonable cause to suspect abuse or neglect, then the following steps will be taken:

1. Take all allegations seriously. Be gentle and protective of both victim and alleged abuser, as well as sensitive to the volunteer(s) reporting the suspicious activity. Document what, when, where and how, and the date, time and circumstances under which the report was made. Interview all appropriate persons.

2. A "Response Team" will be assigned to take further action. The response team will consist of (1) a member of the pastoral staff or professional staff, (2) two members of session appointed by the Moderator of Session, and (3) a mental health professional who may or may not be a member of the congregation. The response team will promptly:

·         Contact victim's parents.

·         Contact alleged person.

·         Prepare written documentation of the interviews conducted.

·         Contact local civil authorities as appropriate or required by law.

·         Document all efforts to handle the situation.

·         Contact Presbytery as appropriate.

3. The response team, under the guidance of the church legal counsel, insurance carrier, and other appropriate parties, will conduct a preliminary investigation and make its best efforts to conduct interviews and make recommendations within 48 hours of the initial reporting of suspicious activity. The response team will:

·         Conduct initial investigations into the allegations.

·         Document all findings and all efforts in the investigation.

·         Make appropriate recommendations of (1) any further legal investigations necessary and (2) further informal investigation.

·         Present recommendations to authorities.

·         Appoint one sole spokesperson.

·         Cooperate with the local and state civil authorities, as appropriate or required by law.

4. The spokesperson must present a clear position statement of the church regarding child abuse and include policies and established safeguards. This person will be the only person communicating to the press and to authorities.

5. The spokesperson will give information to the congregation.

6.  If the alleged person is found to have acted appropriately and allegations are unfounded, then the person shall be formally exonerated by the Pastor or Associate Pastor of all allegations.

7. The pastoral staff, or others acting under their direction, will offer appropriate counseling to all parties.

 

RESOURCES

”Life Together in the Community of Faith: Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees and Volunteers of the Presbyterian Church (USA)”

Model Presbytery Misconduct Policy, Presbyterian Church (USA)

Sexual Misconduct Policy and Its Procedures, Adopted by the 205th General Assembly (1993), Presbyterian Church (USA)

“Protecting Volunteers and the Church”, Presbytery of New Hope

Kirk of Kildaire Youth Connection Guidebook, November 2000

Safe Child Policy Manual and Policy, First Presbyterian Church, Kokomo, IN

Children, Youth and Volunteer Safety Policy, the First Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor, MI

Child Safety Policy, Calvary Presbyterian Church, Snohomish, WA

Nursery Ministry Parent Procedures, St. Francis United Methodist Church, Cary, NC

Howard, Stallings, From & Hutton, P.A., Legal Counsel