SAFE SANCTUARIES
The
Safe Sanctuaries Policy
Of the Chillicothe United Methodist Church
Chillicothe, Missouri
Matthew 18: 5-6 “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, 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.”
Because we care deeply about the welfare and safety of every child and youth who participates in the programs and ministries provided by the Chillicothe United Methodist Church, we take seriously our responsibility to respect the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual health of every person involved in leading or participating in ministry is consistent with sharing the love of God through Jesus Christ and God’s Word. Therefore, we have a strong commitment to make the church a safe place for children and youth.
This policy will include, but not be limited to:
Reasonable screening measures in the selection and recruitment of all workers with children and youth;
Provide all workers with reasonable education of the policy and procedures, along with ongoing monitoring, so that compliance is maintained;
Establish reasonable policies to minimize the risk of child abuse in church activities;
Reporting incidents of Child Abuse in accordance with the State Laws of Missouri and to the appropriate church official;
Providing reasonable liability coverage;
Providing for the safety, protection and emotional support of those who may have been victimized;
Administrative bodies of the local church shall be responsible for implementing and monitoring the policy and procedures;
Actively communicating with family members and the congregation.
This policy has been adopted on ____________________________
Administrative Council President: ___________________________
Administrative Council Secretary: ___________________________
Chillicothe
United Methodist Church
Safe Sanctuaries Procedures
Because we care deeply about the welfare and safety of every child and youth who participates in the programs and ministries provided by the Chillicothe United Methodist Church, we take seriously our responsibility to respect the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual health of every person involved in leading or participating in ministry is consistent with sharing the love of God through Jesus Christ and God’s Word. Therefore, we have a strong commitment to make the church a safe place for children and youth.
A. Reasonable screening measures in the selection and recruitment of all workers with children and youth
All workers, both compensated and volunteer, shall complete a primary screening procedure.
All compensated workers and staff shall undergo a Missouri Background check with the appropriate agencies.
Adults who have admitted to, confessed or been convicted of either child sexual or physical abuse shall not be used as a volunteer or be an employee in any church sponsored activity or program for children and youth.
Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse need the love and acceptance of this church family. Individuals who have such a history are encouraged to discuss their desire to work with children or youth with the Senior Pastor prior to engaging in any volunteer service.
All adult volunteers working with youth or children are required to be members or constituent members who have been actively participating in the life of Chillicothe United Methodist Church for a minimum of six months. The Senior Pastor may waive the constituent member or the “Six Month Wait” rule.
Volunteers and new church employees must complete the following paperwork:
a. Primary Screening and Covenant Application Form
b. Submit three references for a background check, if deemed appropriate.
c. Background check through the MO Department of Health, Family Care Safety Registry, Child-Care and Elder-Care Worker Registration.
B. Provide all workers with children and youth with reasonable education of the policy and procedures, along with ongoing monitoring, so that compliance is maintained.
1. 1. Volunteers and church staff will receive training or information that includes the following:
a. Recognition of signs of abuse;
b. b. How to avoid situations when abuse might take place or conduct which could be perceived as abusive;
c. c. Reporting requirements in the event of an alleged incident of child abuse includes local Church Officials, the State of Missouri and the Missouri Area District Superintendent of The United Methodist Church.
2. Annually parents and volunteers will be provided the Safe Sanctuaries Policies and Procedures.
a. a. The Safe Sanctuaries Policy and Procedures will be provided various ways, such as mailings, bulletin inserts
bulletin board postings and handouts.
b. b. Reporting requirements in the event of an incident relating to child abuse includes local Church Officials, the State of Missouri and the
Missouri Area of The United Methodist Church.
c. Reasonable efforts will be made to have volunteers sign a receipt that they have received a copy of the Safe Sanctuaries Policy
and Procedures, which will be on file in the Adminsitrative Officer's office.
c. 3. All new Church Staff and Preschool Staff must complete a full Safe Sanctuaries Screening that includes the following:
a. A Employment Application;
Primary Screening and Covenant Application
Division of Family Services Form
The appropriate Church body will review this information and forward to the Administrative Officer.
4. All new Church Staff and Preschool Staff must complete Safe Sanctuaries Training that includes the following:
a. Recognition of signs of abuse;
b. How to avoid situations when abuse might take place or conduct which could be perceived as abusive;
c.
Reporting requirements of the State of Missouri and the Missouri
Area of The United Methodist
Church relating to child abuse.
d. A copy of The Safe Sanctuaries Policy and Procedures;
Signed Receipt that they were advised of and given a copy of the policy and procedures.
C.
Establish reasonable policies to minimize the risk of child abuse in church
activities.
1. 1. Two Adult Policy: Programs that involve children* and youth** shall always include adequate supervisory personnel. If adequate supervision is not available, the event will be cancelled. Two adult supervisors or one adult and a roamer present during any child or youth activity may meet the adequate supervision policy. At least one of the adult supervisors must be over 21 years of age.
*Children are defined as birth through 6th grade.
**Youth are defined as the summer after their 6th grade year through the summer after their senior year of High School.
Transportation of children and youth: If there are two adults in separate vans, the vans will need to caravan to and from the activity. If there are two adults in each van, then vans can go separately. This includes any church vans or personal vehicles used to transport children and youth.
2. 2. First Aid/CPR Training: First Aid and CPR training will be made available on an annual basis for all church workers dealing with children and youth.
3. 3. Four Years Older Rule: Youth less than four years older than the oldest youth participating in the event will not count toward the two adult policy. Such youth will be considered counselors and must be supervised by an adult except when the two adult policies are met.
4. 4. No Childcare Volunteers Under the Age of Eighteen: Nursery volunteers, nursery staff and other volunteers that provide childcare for activities within the church must be over the age of eighteen unless supervised by an adult.
5. 5. Visibility in All Classrooms: Each room set-aside for children and youth will have a door with a window in it or a half door. A window in every door removes the opportunity for secrecy and isolation, conditions for every child abuser seeks. A half door offers protection against children wandering outside the classroom and allows full visual access. Until all doors are converted to half doors or with windows, doors without visual attributes will remain open and unlocked for the purposes of observation and/or unexpected visits. There shall be an “open door” policy in all ministry settings for children and youth whereby church members, parents or staff persons are welcome to visit and/or observe with out prior notice.
6. 6. Open Door Counseling: At any counseling sessions with children or youth, the door of the room used should remain open for the entire session. Ideally, the session will be conducted at a time when others are nearby, even if they are not within listening distance.
7. 7. Advance Notice to Parents and Parental Permission: Parents must give written permission for their child’s participation in any event such as choirs, God Squad, Youth Trips, Bible Study, etc. Doing this protects the church by assuming that parents were informed of the event. Advance information encourages parents to support the ministry by scheduling their child’s participation. More importantly, advance information demonstrates that the church takes its ministries seriously enough to plan thoroughly and to provide for the safest possible experiences.
8.
8. Activity Supervision:
Supervision of children will be maintained before, during and after a
meeting or event until all children are in the custody of authorized adults.
Children attending the Preschool (3 & 4 year olds); Pre-Kindergarten;
Kindergarten; 1st; 2nd; and 3rd grade Sunday
School classes will not be released from their classrooms until they there are
in the custody of their parents or legal guardians. Siblings under age 18 shall not be allowed to retrieve their
siblings or other children from the Sunday School classes.
9. 9. Transportation of Children: Children may not be transported to or from an event by
anyone other than the authorized adults. Unless written permission and/or prior discussion with the leader of the church function has taken place.
Children may not be transported from school to church functions (such as Bible Adventure Club or God Squad) without written permission from the parent or guardian. Visitors to these programs must contact the activity supervisor and provide written parental/guardian permission prior to being provided transportation.
10. Transportation of Youth: Parents of youth are encouraged to limit the transportation of their youth for church sponsored events to themselves or others deemed appropriate by their parent or legal guardian.
11. Overnight Rules: Special
attention must be given to overnight activities that involve youth.
If male and female children/youth are present, then male and female
chaperons must be present at minimum of two male adults in the “boy”
sleeping area, and two female adults in the “girls” sleeping area.
All adult chaperons, supervisors and college counselors will be screened
according to Safe Sanctuaries Procedures.
12. Policy on Delivering and Retrieving Children from the Church Nursery: Each child must be signed in and out of the church nursery by a parent or guardian who will indicate on the form where they can be reached during the time the child is in the nursery.
For extra protection, when a child is two years or younger, the child and the parent/guardian will be given corresponding identification tags, if indicated. (Especially if the child and parent/guardian are visitors) The child’s tag will be attached to the back of their clothing. The parent/guardian will turn in their tag when retrieving their child from the nursery and numbers will be matched. Children will only be released to same corresponding number as the tagged adult.
Siblings under age 18 will not be allowed to deliver or retrieve the child from the nursery.
1. 1. Chillicothe United Methodist Church (CUMC) has adopted a reporting scheme that incorporates the statutory reporting requirements provided by the State of Missouri and includes a reporting system for incidents or disclosures that fall outside the statutory scheme.
2. 2. In the State of Missouri, any person who has the responsibility for the care of children must immediately report, or cause a report to be filed, with the Missouri Division of Family Services any time that person has reasonable cause to suspect that child under the age of 18 has been or may be subjected to abuse or neglect. The same reporting obligations are also placed on such persons when they observe a child being subjected to conditions, which would reasonably result in abuse or neglect. A person must file, or cause to be filed, a report within 24 hours of first suspecting or observing indications of sexual abuse or molestation.
3. 3. The reporting obligation falls upon any person exercising supervision over a child or youth for any part of a 24-hour day. Thus members of our church staff, Sunday school teachers, nursery workers, any and all youth group volunteers, or any other person this church entrusts with supervision of children are subject to the reporting requirements mentioned above.
4. 4. CUMC requires any adult suspecting or observing indications of sexual abuse or molestation or neglect to report as follows:
a. Suspected abuse of children below 6th grade are to be reported to the Christian Life Director, who in turn files the report to the Senior Pastor. The Senior Pastor then reports the alleged abuse to the DFS Hotline, the Staff Parish Committee and to the District Superintendent for the United Methodist Church.
b. Suspected abuse of children 6th grade or older are to be reported to the Youth Director, who in turn files the report to the Senior Pastor. The Senior Pastor then reports the alleged abuse to the DFS Hotline, the Staff Parish Committee and to the District Superintendent for the United Methodist Church.
c. An
initial report may be reported to the senior pastor in any instance.
The Senior Pastor will then assist in completing a report.
d. If needing to report conduct of
Christian Life Director or Youth Director, go directly to the Senior Pastor.
e. To report the conduct of the Senior Pastor, contact the District Superintendent
E.
Providing reasonable liability coverage:
1. 1. The Chillicothe United Methodist Church will provide general and excess liability coverage’s for incidents of sexual misconduct, abuse and molestation.
2. For further information of actual coverage’s, contact the President of the Board of Trustees.
F.
F.
Providing for the safety, protection and emotional support
of those who may have been victimized:
Honest and forthright Information will be provided, in a manner determined as appropriate, which may include:
1. A letter to the members that briefly explains the incident and the initial action taken by the church from the Senior Pastor or District Superintendent that includes:
a. A statement of the actions taken to assure the safety of all the children and to assure the congregation’s continuing ability to provide ministry to children and youth
b. This letter should dispel rumors and innuendo and assure everyone that everything possible has been done to provide for the safety of the victim(s) and to enable the safe continuation of the church’s ministry.
2. A Congregational Meeting:
a. To be planned in a thoughtful and prayerful manner
b. To be scheduled for a specific time and place.
d. c. Careful planning with advance notice, the Senior Pastor or District Superintendent will be the leaders for the meeting with support of the Lay Leaders.
e. e. Meeting Agenda will follow procedures suggested by the United Methodist Church.
3. Continuing Ministry
a. Appoint a task force for planning this continuing ministry process.
b. b. Use existing groups with the church to plan appropriate ministries of healing, justice, education, and worship.
c. c. After enough time has passed, the planning group may want to organize a time for sharing that is similar to that in the first congregational meeting.
d. d. Provide such assistance to alleged victims as appropriate after consultation with legal counsel.
G. Administrative
bodies of the local church shall be responsible for implementing and monitoring
the policy and procedures:
1. 1. The Administrative Council will appoint a staff person to monitor compliance with this policy.
2. 2. The Administrative Council will annually review a compliance report.
H. Actively
communicating with family members and the congregation.
1. Annually the Safe Sanctuaries Policies and Procedures will be communicated to parents and volunteers.
a. The Safe Sanctuaries Policy and
Procedures will be communicated through various ways, such as mailings, bulletin
inserts,
bulletin board postings and
handouts.
b. Reporting requirements in the event of an incident that includes local Church Officials, the State of Missouri and the Area District Superintendent of The United Methodist Church relating to child abuse.
c. Reasonable
efforts will be made to have Eparents
and volunteers sign a receipt that they have received a copy of the Safe
Sanctuaries Policy and Procedures, which will be on file in the Administrative
Officer’s office.