A safe environment for them, and peace of mind for you.

New Life Community Church
Child Safety Manual

Hello and Welcome

We are glad you have chosen to become involved in ministry at New Life Community Church. As you begin new relationships as well as enjoy functions and special events, you will be encouraged to learn to what extent we take the safety of our children.

In 1995 we began an in-depth look at all of our ministries with special attention given to those which involve our children. Our purpose was to see how we could ensure their safety as much as possible. So was born the committee which researched, scrutinized and labored over the implementation of the Child Safety Program, more often referred to as CSP.

The Child Safety Program is a screening process designed to protect our children from sexual, physical and emotional abuse. We, the Child Safety Committee, define a child as birth to age 21. A spokesman for the National Church Group Insurance Agency stated that abuse has increased four-fold in the last five years. And that is in churches! Insurance companies who work mainly with Christian organizations are now offering discounts to those churches who already have some type of screening process in place and still others require a screening process before they will insure the church. It has been said that within the next five years all churches that work with insurance companies will be required to have a screening process.

In addition to the Child Safety program, we have also made efforts to make the Church building a safer place. There are windows on all doors, and half-doors have been added in the nursery. We ask that you read the following pages and if at any point you have questions or concerns about this matter or the material, please contact a CSP committee member or an elder. As you continue reading, please keep in mind that our main goal is to provide a safe, healthy environment for our children.

Do You Know What To Look For?

You may be asking yourself, just exactly how do we protect our children from abuse? Good question. Becoming informed is one of the best protections and deterrents against abuse. Staying alert and knowing what to look for are vital instruments in the fight against preying abusers. The profile of someone who does abuse (or may abuse) most often involves those who have: addictions, problems with anger and/or authority relationships and childhood abuse in their own past. Understanding how to deal effectively with anger is very important in preventing certain types of abuse, as well as learning what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior when dealing with children. The more education we are able to obtain about abuse and the profile of an abuser the better we are at combating it before it happens. For more detailed information please see the handouts located in the holders outside of the church office.

Who Needs To Go Through the Child Safety Program?

Anyone who is interested in working with children must complete the Child Safety Program. Before a person can apply however, they must have at least six months regular attendance at New Life Community Church. As you go through the various CSP phases, be comforted that you are not alone. Many of your fellow New Life family members have also completed the process. In fact, all NLCC elders, church staff, CSP committee members, and children's ministry leaders have gone or will go through the Child Safety Process. If you are under twenty-one years of age, you must be approved by the elders and the Child Safety Committee before you may apply. Appendix A contains a more complete list of ministries where the CSP is necessary. (S.H.E.E.P. teachers are exempt from the six month rule.)

The Process

The actual Child Safety Program is a process that begins by picking up an Application Packet in the church office. The application packet can be filled out at the church or in the privacy of your own home. The folder contains several forms beginning with a gold Application Packet Instruction Sheet that guides you through all the forms as well as gives you helpful tips on what is needed at certain times during the process. The next sheet you will see is a yellow Official Church Resolution which states the official position of the church regarding abuse. Following that sheet is a green five page Application For Child/Youth/Young Adult Workers form. The application asks you questions about previous child ministries you have been involved with; drug and alcohol history; home safety issues, in case the child ministry is held at your home; personal references; and, previous church attendance. The next sheet in the packet is labeled Child Protective Services Release Of Information Form. This is the white form that is sent to Richmond for a background check. The background check is for child molestation and related sexual charges. The next sheet is a beige handout entitled "Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect." This is an educational form that defines child abuse and explains indicators to look for in an abused child.

And finally, there is the blue Interview Information Sheet. This informative sheet lets you know that there is an interview, which lasts about forty minutes, and sets out the purpose of the interview. If at any point, for whatever reason, you wish to stop the interview, you may. No questions asked. Also on the sheet is what you, the applicant, can expect from the CSP committee. Our pledge to you is discussed, as well as what is expected of you, such as: honesty, openness etc... Please be aware that at no time will information be released without the applicants written permission. The church will maintain the records indefinitely in a secured file cabinet.

Some Useful Terms Defined

As you talk with the CSP committee members you will begin to hear some titles. There are three with which we want you to be familiar. The titles are, Leader/Monitor, Assistant, and Helper. These terms describe the differing levels that one can hold while working with our children. The Leader is, as its name implies, a leader in a ministry who must complete the Child Safety Process and must be present at all times during the ministry activity. An Assistant is one who assists the Leader in a ministry and must have completed the Child Safety Process. An Assistant works with children, but cannot be left alone with children. The Helper is an individual who aids the ministry in an informal way and is not required to complete the Child Safety Process.

Another term that we want you to understand is the Two Adult Rule. This is a procedure utilized to ensure that our children are not susceptible to injury or abuse. The Two Adult Rule requires that at least two adults be present at any New Life Community Church sanctioned childrens activity. At least one of the adults must be a Child Safety Program Leader. The other adult must be at least a Child Safety Program Assistant. For some ministries we institute a Leader-Monitor to move throughout the building between rooms where children are present.

To protect our children, no person under twenty-one can become a Leader or Assistant unless formal application is approved by the elders and the Child Safety Committee for a specific position. Formal application will also include a written reference from the leader of the ministry/ministries for which the applicant is applying. The applicant may not serve in a leadership capacity in any of the ministries in which they currently participate.

Married couples may serve together if they are CSP and Elder approved.

Church/Parental Responsibilities?

All activities occurring in the church building or on the premises fall under the Child Safety Program. A parent can designate the responsibility to whomever they wish to pick up or drop off their child. Parents or the designated individual are always responsible for the safety of their children before and after a scheduled event. It is the parents/designees responsibility to ensure that at least two CSP qualified adults are present. The church's responsibility begins when the activity Leader assumes responsibility.

For church events occurring off the church grounds, if the parents/designees are present, the safety of their children is their responsibility. For off church ground events it is also the parents/designees responsibility to ensure that there are two qualified CSP adults. The church's responsibility begins only when the activity Leader assumes responsibility.

If at any time you have questions, or need more clarification please contact an Elder or Child Safety Committee member. We are here to serve you.

What About Working In The Nursery?

In the nurseries, parents or siblings of a child may tend to that child just as they would at home or any other public place. Any person, male, female, adult, or youth may serve in the church nursery. There are some requirements however that refer to the care of children not your own, please see Appendix B for those requirements.

Discussion of Sexual Issues

Our church policy is not to make any presentation regarding sexual issues or to discuss sexual issues without prior written approval of a guardian. Consistent with this policy, youth workers will not discuss sexual issues or sexuality with any child under legal age (18) without written permission from a parent or legal guardian. If approached by a child regarding sexual issues of a general rather than personal nature (for example, what does the Bible teach about premarital sex), the youth worker may state the Biblical position on this issue and show the Scriptures, but must then notify the parent of the discussion.

Conversations with an individual child regarding inappropriate romantic behavior or sexual issues (when parental permission has been granted) should be done with two CSP adults present. These adults should be of the same gender as the youth that they are talking to.

And Finally...

You can see that the Child Safety Program is an involved process. This process is approved by our Elders, if you have any questions please contact them or any member of the CSP committee. We will be glad to answer any questions you have. The results of implementing this program we believe are threefold: (1) You can know that your church cares about the security of your children; (2) You can feel more secure about the childrens ministries in which your children participate; (3) As a church worker you can know you and your church are better protected from ungrounded accusations and frivolous lawsuits.

Thank you for taking the time to read over this material. If we can be of any help please let us know.

Appendix A

A list of (but not limited to) where the Child Safety Process is necessary:

 

Appendix B

NURSERY REQUIREMENTS

These requirements apply whenever the nurseries are being used, and are not limited to Sunday School and Church Service.

1. Only a female Leader may change diapers or accompany children into the bathroom. [A Leader is a person who has been approved as a Leader through the Child Safety Program.]

2. Just as in other ministries, the Two Adult Rule must be followed at all times (which means that two adults approved through the Child Safety Program must be present in order for this ministry to function).

3. A Leader/Monitor may be used to fulfill the two adult rule. [A Monitor is a Leader who moves between rooms to fulfill the two adult rule].

4. Married couples may serve together only if they are approved by the Child Safety Program and the church elders.

© 1997 by New Life Community Church of Stafford
Child Safety Program NLCC Child Safety Manual Child Safety Packet Instruction Sheet Child Safety Application Recognizing Child Abuse & Neglect Child Safety Resolution Interview Information Sheet

To NLCC Home PageVisitor Info | Beliefs | Contact Us | Directions | Events | Good News | Groups/Ministries | History | Housing | Missions | Photos | Staff | Vision/Beliefs |
Christian Growth | Budget | Career | Confessions | Education | Family Help | FAQ | Favorite Links | Health | Humor | Index | Kids | Latest Additions | Marriage | Men's | New Covenant | Quizzes | Seasonal | Sermons | Singles | Stories | Teachings | Teen | Urban Legends |
Member Info | Bulletins | Entertainment | Events | Government | Groups/Ministries | Moving? | Missionaries | Photos |