Use the Six-Month Rule – Don’t give any volunteer worker the opportunity to be involved in nursery, children’s or youth work until he or she has been associated with your church for at least six months.
Screen All Workers – Investigate prior church membership and volunteer work. Check references. Develop an application form and have your attorney review and modify it. Sample forms are available at brotherhoodmutual.com.
Use the Two-Adult Rule – On or off premises, always have at least two adults supervising each room, vehicle, or other enclosed space – even it only one or two children need care.
Other Preventive Measures – Discourage the use of teenagers as nursery workers. Increase supervisors for large groups. Prohibit situations where one adult is alone with children in changing rooms or restrooms. Use a “claim check” procedure so that children are released only to a parent guardian or other authorized person presenting the “check”. Don’t permit participation in off premise events, especially overnight stays, unless an adequate number of adult workers will be present.
Educate Your Workers – A good way to educate your church employees, and volunteer workers is to use the “Reducing the Risk Kit”. The kit is a turnkey training solution for a child sex offense abuse prevention program and is available at brotherhoodmutual.com.
This material is from the Spectrum newsletter from Children’s Homes, Inc.