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Child/Youth Safety Policy
I. Mission Statement:
St. Luke Lutheran Church seeks to proactively protect all children and
youth involved in the ministries of this congregation, adults working with
them, and the congregation itself from harm and accusation of harm. To that
end, these policies and procedures are presented as elements of a
“safe-touch” program. The program is intended to address both elements of
prevention and of education regarding inappropriate behaviors during
church-related activities.
We, the congregation of St. Luke Lutheran Church, support the following
policy for working with youth, in keeping with the mission statement of the
congregation.
II. Policy
A “safe-touch” element must be part of the educational program of the
congregation and integrated into its curriculum in all age groups.
Informative materials must also be available to parents/guardians on
prevention, safe-touch, and other issues relevant to sexual and physical
abuse. There must always be two adults present when working with
children/youth, and parents/guardians must be encouraged to become involved
as much as possible in all children/youth activities. For the purposes of
this Policy, an “adult” is someone 18 years of age or older; a “youth” is a
person 12 years of age through 17 years of age; a “child” is a person 11
years of age or younger. There must be at least a five-year age difference
between adult leaders and the youth they are supervising.
The congregation and its leadership must be informed of the policy as well
as the need for such at least annually. A presentation of this policy must
be included in the new member orientation by the Pastor.
A statement must be released to the church community annually regarding the
establishment of this policy. This policy shall apply to activities within
the church, as well as those church activities that take place outside its
doors.
III. Confidentiality
It is expected that workers and volunteers of the congregation follow the
highest standards of confidentiality. Parents/Guardians must feel confident
that stories about their children are not repeated in or outside the church
setting.
Limits to Confidentiality: Workers involved with ministry to
children/youth or the disabled must report to the supervisor/leader and
pastor any minor’s threat to harming himself/herself or other, or reports of
abuse.
IV. Procedures
- Paid workers and regular volunteers over the age of 14 working with
children/youth and/or the mentally challenged must complete a job
application form, available from the Church office, and have a Criminal
Background Check and a Child Abuse History Clearance Check completed.
(Beginning January 2009, completed February 2009). If they will be
transporting children/youth, a Driving Record Check will also be made.
This will be done and paid for by the Mutual Ministry Committee. Forms
are available from the Church office. Background checks done by other
agencies can be accepted if they are no older than 1 year. An FBI
Fingerprint Card is required if the applicant has resided in the state
of Pennsylvania for less than 2 years and the information given on the
volunteer form cannot be verified.
- New members of the congregation must have a six-month waiting period
before assuming a leadership role with children/youth. They may assume
an assisting role, but not in conjunction with their spouse, another
member of their immediate family, or their significant other.
- If it is impossible to have two adults present, e.g. in Sunday
school classes, then the classroom must remain visible from the public
areas, and the doors remain unlocked; the Director for Children’s
Learning Ministries or another responsible adult must be in the area. An
adult and a child/youth are not to be alone together unless the adult is
the parent/guardian of the child/youth. The only one-on-one activities
permitted are public activities.
- When children/youth are having activities, a buddy system must be
initiated, with each child having a partner for all activities.
- Parents/Guardians will walk their children to the classroom/activity
site to make sure the teacher/leader is present. If not, the
parent/guardian will wait with the child until the teacher/leader
arrives. Parents/guardians will pick up their children in the
classroom/activity site.
- Under no circumstances is anyone, adult or youth, to strike or to
use abusive, demeaning, or sexually-oriented language with a
child/youth. Leaders have an obligation to monitor activities among
children and youth in their care, and to report inappropriate behavior
to the pastor and to the parents/guardians of the children involved.
- The privacy needs of children, youth, and adults must be respected
at all times, especially when dressing, undressing, or using the
bathroom. Parents/Guardians of small children shall be called, if
possible, to attend to the needs of their own children.
- There must not be any secret organizations of any sort in the
congregation.
- Any violation of these policies or inappropriate behaviors must be
reported as soon as possible, but within 24 hours to the pastor, the
appropriate Ministry Chairperson, or the Council President. Always err
on the side of safety.
- Discipline shall be administered in accordance with the constitution
of this congregation, with reference particularly to the sections on
Discipline of Pastors and Discipline of Members (sections C9 and C15).
- Random walk-arounds will be done in all areas of the building during
church-sponsored children/youth activities by the Director of Children’s
Learning Ministries, adults in charge, or their designee. At other
church social events parents/guardians will be responsible for the
supervision of their own children/youth. Under no circumstances will
children/youth be left in the building alone.
- Minor violation, e.g. off-color language, must be taken up with the
persons involved by the appropriate group leader. More serious offenses
such as physical assault or property damage must be reported to the
adults in charge or, if they are involved, to the appropriate Ministry
Chairperson. All infractions, major and minor, must be reported to the
Pastor; if the infractions need to be reported to local authorities, it
will be done by the Pastor (except in cases of emergency, in which case
the leader makes the report and the Pastor will be notified
immediately).
- Allegations of abuse are to be taken seriously. Information
regarding possible sexual or physical abuse is confidential and those
reporting abuse are protected by law. Those who have incidents reported
to them should listen openly and non-judgmentally. Minister to the
victim first, document everything, and report to the Pastor in writing,
including the names of any witnesses. Any release of information must be
done by the Pastor.
- All documentation is considered confidential and will be maintained
in a secure area with limited access.
- Without regard to any allegations made, the accused must be
separated from the accuser by the adult in charge. This must be done
immediately. In case of serious allegations, the accused are also not to
have contact with other youth/children in the congregation until the
investigation is completed. The separation will continue until the
allegations are investigated by the Pastor or his/her designee. Those
who are involved in the incident will be regularly apprised of the
development of the investigation and of its conclusion by the Pastor
and/or his/her designees, and can expect to receive continued pastoral
care throughout the process. If the allegations involve the Pastor, then
the congregation president shall inform the synod.
- All persons who work with children/youth in this congregation,
including members of outside groups who use its facilities, are required
to abide by these policies. All persons who work with children/youth/the
disabled are required to review and sign a copy of this policy before
they may work with children/youth in the congregation. A copy of the
signed policy will be kept in the Church office. Those who work with
children/youth must affirm this commitment annually.
- Anyone transporting youth must be 21 years of age or older and must
fill out the Auto Safety Form, available from the Church office.
Permission Forms for Off-Site Activities are also available from the
Church office and must be used by leaders for off-site activities.
- All people involved in children and youth ministry at St. Luke need
to be aware of the fact that pastors are mandated reporters under the
law and must report all suspected incidences of child abuse, even if
they were confided to him/her in the context of a confession.
- The following people shall have background checks:
- All regular classroom teachers and all substitute teachers
- All regular youth group leaders
- All youth choir directors
Congregation Council approved August 11, 2008. |
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