Midtown Church Child/Youth Protection Policy
General Purpose Statement
Midtown Church seeks to provide a safe and secure environment for the children and youth who participate in our programs and activities. By implementing the below practices, our goal is to protect the children and youth of Midtown Church from incidents of misconduct or inappropriate behavior while also protecting our staff and volunteers from false accusations. All employees and volunteers are required to read and abide by these guidelines and procedures. All questions should be directed to your pastor(s).
Definitions
For purposes of this policy, the terms “child” or “children” include all persons under the age of eighteen (18) years.
Selection of Workers for Sunday Morning Activities
a. Six month Rule and Sexual Offender Background Check. No volunteer will be considered for any position involving contact with minors until s/he has been involved with Midtown Church for a minimum of six (6) months. This time of interaction between our leadership and the applicant allows for better evaluation and suitability of the applicant for working with children.
All volunteers with Midtown’s children/youth ministries are to be checked against the National Sex Offender Registry.
Additionally, all employees and all persons seeking to teach on a regular basis as one of our “head teachers” (on an agreed rotation) will be screened. This screening includes the following: (individuals already in a teaching position on or before Jan. 1, 2015 will be exempt from steps b, c, and d.)
b. Written Application. Each applicant must complete and sign a written application in a form to be supplied by us. The application will request basic information from the applicant and will inquire into previous experience with children, previous church affiliation, references, as well as disclosure of any previous criminal convictions. The application form will be maintained in confidence on file at Midtown Church.
c. Personal Interview. A face-to-face interview may be scheduled with the applicant to discuss his/her suitability for the position. The interview may be conducted by the session, a staff member, a pastor, youth leader, or community group leader (when hiring childcare for a particular community group).
d. Reference Checks. Before an applicant is permitted to work with children, the applicant’s references may be checked. These references should be of an official nature as opposed to family references, preferably from organizations where the applicant has worked with children in the past. Documentation of any reference checks will be maintained in confidence on file at Midtown Church.
e. Criminal Background Check. A national criminal background check is required for all employees (regardless of position) and for the following categories of volunteers:
those who are head teachers on a regular basis (an agreed rotation) in our children’s classes
those overseeing the nursery
those involved in pre-teen/teen activities (Sunday mornings or other times during the week)
those involved in one-on-one mentorship of minors
Before a background check is run, prospective employees and volunteers will be asked to sign an authorization form allowing the church to run the check. If an individual declines to sign the authorization form s/he will be unable to work with children.
What constitutes a disqualifying offense that will keep an individual from working with children will be determined by the leaders of Midtown Church on a case-by-case basis in light of surrounding circumstances. Generally, convictions for an offense involving children and/or for offenses involving violence, dishonesty, illegal substances, or indecency 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.
The background check authorization form and results will be maintained in confidence on file at Midtown Church.
It is our policy that a minimum of two unrelated adult* workers will be in attendance, or within eyesight, at all times when children are being supervised during our programs and activities. In the event that a classroom has only one teacher present (during transitions at the beginning or ending of class, or unusual circumstances), doors to the classroom should remain open and there should be no fewer than two students with the adult teacher. We do not allow minors to be alone with one adult on our premises or in any sponsored activity unless in a counseling situation, or in the case of a same-gender mentor/mentee with parent’s permission.
*In some circumstances, one or two responsible teens will be permitted to stand in for one adult.
Selection of Workers for Non-Sunday Morning Gatherings
For Community Group gatherings or non-regular meetings and church-sponsored activities requiring childcare, all workers will be screened according to steps c, and d outlined above. The number of adult workers present and the decision to do a background check will be at the discretion of those hiring the childcare worker.
Responding to Allegations of Child Abuse
For purposes of this policy, “child abuse” is any action (or lack of action) which 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 which 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, belittling, and persistent teasing.
sexual abuse- any sexual activity between a child and an adult or between a child and another child at least four years older than the victim, including activities such as fondling, exhibitionism, intercourse, incest, and pornography.
neglect- depriving a child of their essential needs, such as adequate food, water, shelter, and medical care.
Childcare employees and volunteers may become aware of abuse or neglect of the children under our care. In the event that an individual involved in the care of children at Midtown Church becomes aware of suspected abuse or neglect of a child under his/her care, this should be reported immediately to their supervisor or the pastor, who will report to the session for further action including the appropriate individual(s) reporting to authorities as may be mandated by Missouri law.
In the event that an incident of abuse or neglect is alleged to have occurred at Midtown Church or during our sponsored programs or activities, the following procedure shall be followed:
1. The parent or guardian of the child will be notified.
2. The employee or volunteer alleged to be the perpetrator of the abuse or misconduct will immediately be removed from working with children pending an investigation.
3. We will comply with the State of Missouri requirements regarding mandatory reporting of abuse/neglect as the law then exists.
4. Our insurance company will be notified, and we will complete an incident report.
5. We will cooperate with any investigation of the incident by state or local authorities. In the event that there is no investigation of the incident by state or local authorities, a team will be formed to investigate the circumstances of the incident, and consult with counselors or other church sessions as needed. The team should take action only in consultation with our insurance company and/or attorney.
6. Any person who is not found innocent of the alleged abuse or misconduct will be removed from their position with children or youth.
7. A member of the session will be our spokesperson to the media concerning incidents of abuse or neglect, unless he or she is alleged to be involved. All other employees and volunteers should refrain from speaking to the media.
8. A pastoral visit will be arranged for those who desire it.
If you have any questions please contact the church office.