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Security Policy for Children’s Ministry
Updated 11/17/2019

SECURITY POLICY 

Purpose Statement
Karis Community Church, hereinafter referred to as “Karis”, seeks to provide a secure environment for the children who participate in our programs. By implementing the below practices, our goal is to protect the children of Karis from incidents of misconduct or inappropriate behavior while also protecting our staff and volunteers from false accusations.

Definitions
For purposes of this policy, the terms “child” or “children” include all persons under the age of 18 years. The term “volunteer” includes both paid and unpaid persons who work with children.

Selection of Volunteers
All persons who desire to work with the children participating in our programs will be screened and selected on a case by case basis. The screening includes the following:

a) Membership Rule
No person will be considered for any volunteer position involving contact with minors until she/he has been awarded a Karis membership. This allows our leadership to better evaluate the suitability of the applicant for working with children.

b) Written Application
All persons seeking to work with children must complete and sign a written application in a form to be supplied by Karis. The application will request basic information from the applicant and will inquire into previous experience with children, as well as disclosure of any previous criminal convictions.

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

A disqualifying offense that will keep an individual from working with children will be determined by the leadership 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.

Training
Karis will provide training on this child protection policy to all new and existing childcare volunteers and will strive to provide opportunities for additional training.

Check-in/Check-out Procedure
A security check-in/check-out procedure will be adhered. The parent/guardian will check in the child at the iPad kiosk station located in the lobby area. The parent/guardian will receive a printed name label per child and a printed security label for pick up. The parent or guardian must present the security label in order to pick up the child from our care.

Sick Child Policy
It is our desire to provide a healthy and safe environment for all of the children at Karis. 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 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 Karis 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 ministry leader to develop a plan of action.

Restroom Guidelines
Children should use a classroom bathroom if one is available. If a classroom bathroom is not available, volunteers will escort a group of children to the hallway bathroom. The children will always go in a group, never taking a child to the bathroom alone. The volunteers will ensure the bathroom is empty, then allow the children inside. The volunteers will remain outside the bathroom door and escort the children back to the classroom. For the protection of all, volunteers should never be alone with a child in a bathroom. Parents are strongly encouraged to have their children visit the bathroom prior to each class.

*Preschool students may require additional assistance when using the restroom. In these instances, two adults are required to assist the preschool student to the restroom, ensuring the child is never alone with one adult. If a parent prefers to be the only one to assist their child in the restroom, they may notify their child’s teacher of this preference. 

Accidental Injuries to Children
In the event that a child is injured while under our care, the following steps will be followed:

  1. For minor injuries, scrapes, and bruises, volunteers 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.
  2. For injuries requiring medical treatment beyond simple First Aid, the parent and/or guardian will immediately be summoned in addition to the volunteer’s supervisor. If warranted by circumstances, an ambulance will be called.
  3. 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.

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 and belittling.
  • Sexual abuse – any sexual activity between a child and an adult or between a child and another child, 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.

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

  1. The parent or guardian of the child will be notified. There will also be an online submission form whereby a report can be delivered anonymously and be read by Karis leadership.
  2. The volunteer 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Any person who is not found innocent of the alleged abuse or misconduct will be removed from their position working with children.

Discipline Policy
It is the policy of Karis not to administer corporal punishment, even if parents have suggested or given permission for it. There should be no spanking, grabbing, hitting, or other physical discipline of children.