Safe Church Policy

FAIRWOOD COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

YOUTH AND CHILDREN SAFE CHURCH POLICY

JANUARY 11, 2005

(revised 7/31/2010)

A. INTRODUCTION

Scripture and our United Methodist tradition inform us in our belief that all of human life is of sacred worth, perhaps children most of all. Hear the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:5-6: “Whoever welcomes [a] child, welcomes me. If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones…it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Therefore, as a covenanted Christian community of faith, it is the purpose of Fairwood Community United Methodist Church to conduct all youth/children related events in ways that promote the safety of all of our youth/children, as well as all of the workers with youth/children who also participate in these events.

B. SCOPE

This policy and its provisions shall apply to all paid and unpaid staff, whether lay or clergy who have any contact with youth/children who participate in any church activities or events. For the purposes of this document, children are infant through sixth grade, junior high are grades seventh through ninth, and senior high are grades ninth through twelfth. During the summer the grade level of the child is defined as the grade that they will be entering in the fall.

C. STATEMENT OF COVENANT

Therefore, as a Christian community of faith and a United Methodist congregation, we pledge to conduct the ministry of the gospel in ways that assure the safety and spiritual growth of all of our youth/children, as well as the workers with them. We will follow the reasonable safety measures in the selection and recruitment of workers; we will implement prudent operational procedures in all programs and events; we will educate all of our workers with children, youth, and vulnerable adults regarding the use of all appropriate policies and methods (including first aid and methods of discipline); we will have a clearly defined procedure for reporting a suspected incident of abuse that conforms to the requirements of state law; and we will be prepared to respond to media inquiries if an incident occurs.

D. PROCEDURE FOR UPDATING AND REVISING THE YOUTH AND CHILDREN SAFE-CHURCH POLICY

1. Updating/Revising

The Church Council of Fairwood Community United Methodist Church shall have the authority to review these policies on a bi-annual basis or at the request of leadership or Policy Supervisor.

2. Waiver of Policies

Church policies may be waived occasionally for exceptional circumstances. The goal of Fairwood Community United Methodist Church is to promote safety while maintaining practical flexibility in children and youth ministry. Waiving policies will only be authorized by the Policy Supervisor and/or in consultation with the program staff person in charge.

3. Modification of Policies

This policy may be modified or withdrawn by Fairwood Community United Methodist Church’s Church Council at any time. These policies are not intended to create an implied or express contract with any person. They are not intended to create a legally enforceable or binding promise or representation.

I. YOUTH AND CHILDREN ACTIVITY GUIDELINES

A. General Safety Requirements

Parents shall be given advance notice and full information regarding any church-related activities or meetings for their youth/children.
All local churches must be insured for abuse, risk, and facility hazards.
Any activity that has a risk factor to it requires the presence of an experienced and/or certified guide or instructor. For example, swimming, river rafting, rock climbing, challenge course, or other risk-related activities. Participation in these activities shall also be properly insured with a certificate of liability. If the activity is contracted to an outside party, then the contractor shall also be properly insured with a certificate of liability insurance providing a minimum of one million dollars liability coverage limits.
If any special equipment is used that requires special instruction, the instructions for its use will be posted and followed. Participants will also be instructed verbally in the use of the equipment.
Medical permission forms are required from all youth/children (and possibly adults) participating in church events. These forms shall accompany the adult coordinator of the event or meeting and shall include a waiver of liability. In the case of an accident that requires medical attention, the person who is responsible for the event or the meeting will use all means possible to contact the parent, guardian or emergency contact while ensuring that the youth/children receive the proper care.
There shall be a first aid kit on the premises at all church events including all overnight events.
Any overnight event shall have, at the least, one adult trained in first aid and CPR who can administer minor first aid, dispense medicine as needed, and who is capable of determining whether additional medical attention is necessary. This person is also responsible for reporting all incidences to the Policy Supervisor or pastor.
For all overnight events that primarily target minors, all medicine including supplements, will be given to the first aid staff at the beginning of the event, and it will then be distributed as appropriate by first aid staff. An on-going log of all medications dispensed and treatments administered will also be kept.
Events will be programmed so that all participants will consistently remain in groups of three or more. All minors will have an adult leader present.
If anyone notices unrecognized people at an event, the event or meeting coordinator shall be informed as soon as possible.
Permission to use the image of a child/youth shall be given by the parent/guardian by signing the Parent Release Form for Children/Youth Media Recording.

B. Driving Regulations

Only those who are 18 or older may drive on event business or during an event. If there are passengers involved, the driver shall be at least 23.
The driver shall possess a valid driver’s license; insurance and the driver’s record shall conform to any standards that are required by the church’s insurance company.
Youth are not allowed to drive themselves to events. If, due to extenuating circumstances, a youth needs to drive to an event or meeting away from the church, the youth who is driving shall carry written permission to drive to the event/meeting from his/her parents.
Vehicles that are used for and during events shall meet all legal requirements.
All driving, except short trips, should be done in daylight.
Driving time is limited to a maximum of 10 hours and must be interrupted by frequent rest, food, and recreation stops. If there is only one driver, the driving time should be reduced to 8 hours and stops should be made more frequently.

C. Overnight Events

Boys and girls may not sleep in the same room unless there is no other option as a result of shortages of chaperones or because of the nature of the space. If they are in the same room and there is a divider available, it shall be used to separate the genders. If there is no divider available, boys and girls shall be at least six feet apart from each other.
There shall be at least one adult of the same gender in the sleeping quarters; two adults are required for each gender if less than three youth/children are present.
At overnight events a minimum of eight consecutive hours of sleep shall be scheduled per night. These hours begin with lights out and quiet time and end at least one half hour prior to breakfast.

D. POLICY SUPERVISOR

The Fairwood Community United Methodist Church shall have a designated Policy Supervisor, laity or clergy, paid or volunteer, whose job it is to see that a national background check/Washington State Patrol background check is made for all volunteers. (Staff Parish Relations Committee is responsible for checking references and backgrounds for all paid staff.) This person will keep the background checks in a safe, locked space. They are also assigned the responsibility of seeing and reviewing the training of all staff and volunteers. This training may include the following subject areas:
It is recommended that the Policy Supervisor be a Conference Designated Safety Officer (DSO) and trained accordingly.
The Policy Supervisor is also responsible for serving as the resource person on youth and children safety issues, for receiving Accident Report forms, for receiving reports of guideline misuse or reports of abuse, and for seeing that all persons who need to know of abuses are informed.
The Policy Supervisor is responsible for carefully executing the procedures for responding to allegations of abuse as described in Section III-C.
If a person reports that they have been abused in another setting, the Policy Supervisor shall consult with the event leaders or other oversight staff and they shall make a determination of who should be informed; which may include CPS, law enforcement, etc. In the case of a minor if the parents are not the subjects of the abuse, they need to be informed as well.

E. Policy for Screening Paid and Volunteer Staff

An adult who works in a role that places them in direct contact with youth/children shall complete a national background/Washington State Patrol background check. These documents need to be sent or called into the Conference Office.

Clergy and paid employees – Paid workers with youth and children should be screened most diligently and will require a national background check. Pastors will be checked through District or Conference channels.
Primary volunteers – Volunteers with regular contact with youth or children should also be diligently screened and will require a national background check. This category may include volunteers active in higher risk activities; largely unsupervised activities, off-site activities, overnight activities, etc.
Secondary volunteers – Volunteers who have occasional contact with youth or children, but never in a small group, will complete a Washington State Patrol background check and may require a national background check. This category includes volunteers who only have large group contact on a less regular basis and includes volunteers less than 18 years of age working with participants.
Volunteers who are checked through their work may bring proof of a background check instead of running a new one.

2. A criminal conviction for a sexual offense disqualifies an applicant from working with youth/children. Other automatic disqualifiers usually are convictions for incest, rape, assaults involving minors, murder, kidnapping, child pornography, domestic violence to the other parent and physical abuse. Anyone who was abused as a child who wants to work with youth/children should have a discussion with the pastor about their ability to work with kids and know what the boundaries are.

3. All workers (any person who has custody or supervision of children under 18 years of age during church activities, whether in a paid or a volunteer role. This includes parents of children who participate in activities) will complete an application form that requests comprehensive information:

Identification (driver’s license number, date of birth)
Current home address
Volunteer work during the past 5 years
Experiences and skills specifically related to the position
Prior church membership (if any)
Personal references with complete addresses/phone numbers
Consent to verify all information provided and to contact references (if applicant has been in the state less than 3 years, must be done in state where they are moving from)
Waiver of any right to confidentiality and of any right to pursue damages against the church caused by the reference’s response
Certification that the information provided is true and correct
Signature of applicant and date

4. Workers who have not been members/constituents of Fairwood Community United Methodist Church for six month or who have not been actively involved in children/youth ministries at another United Methodist Church will be paired with an experienced volunteer or a paid staff member for six Months

II. Code of Behavior

A. Rules of general supervision for adults working with youth/children

The behavior of adults working with youth/children must reflect the highest standards of Christian maturity, foster trust at all times, and be above reproach. Adults engaged in church-related events or activities with youth/children present should never engage in sexually suggestive behavior or inappropriate touching.
Any sexual or sexually suggestive behavior by an adult toward any fellow worker or event participant at a church event where an imbalance of power exists between the acting adult and the other person constitutes an abuse of power. Consent is not a defense to an abuse of power.

Sexual harassment is any unwanted sexual advance, physical or verbal demand, or sexually suggestive behavior which is perceived as demeaning, intimidating or coercive. Prohibited behavior includes unsolicited and unwelcome contact that has sexual or coercive overtones, including:

a. Sexually suggestive or coercive communication of any kind such as obscene letters, notes or invitations, comments, threats, slurs, epithets, jokes about gender-specific traits or sexual orientation, sexual propositions;

b. Any bullying or intimidation act whether it is physical contact, such as intentional touching, pinching, brushing against another’s body, impeding or blocking movement, assault, coercing sexual intercourse; visual contact, such as leering or staring at another’s body, sexually suggestive gesturing, displaying sexually suggestive objects or pictures, cartoons, posters, or magazines; or verbal threats, name-calling, or any unwanted gesture.

3. The following guidelines for touching are to be carefully followed by anyone working with youth/children:

a. Touching should always be initiated by the youth/child. The adult should respond to the child’s need for comfort and encouragement and not base touching on their own emotional needs. A youth’s or child’s preference not to be touched should be respected by adults and others. This includes youth to youth and child to child.

4. Anytime an adult thinks that their own or another adult's behavior towards a youth/child, either touching or verbal, may have been perceived as inappropriate, that adult shall report the behavior to the leader in charge or the Policy Supervisor.

5. All adults shall avoid being alone, one-on-one, with youth/children unless parental permission has been given in writing previously. Interaction with youth/children shall be conducted within the sight/supervision of at least one other adult. In situations where only one adult is present, the following guidelines shall be observed:

a. Two or more youth/children shall be present with the adult or leader.

b. If interactions are being conducted in a classroom and there is only one adult available, there shall be a roamer on premise and the windows shall be uncovered.

c. When private consultation is needed between a youth/child and an adult, another adult shall be informed of the activity and of the location in which the activity is taking place. The monitoring adult shall strive to ensure that the consultation takes place in a public space within sight of others but not necessarily within hearing range.

6. Adults shall respect the privacy of youth/children when changing clothing or showering to the extent safety allows. Adults will not be nude in front of children/youth.

7. Youth/children shall be supervised at all times by at least one adult who is at least four years older than the oldest youth/child who is attending the event as a participant. Adults regularly working with youth will normally be out of the youth program for two years.

8. When only two adults are required for supervision, it is recommended that the second adult shall not be related, i.e., a spouse, parent, sibling, or child to the first adult.

9. There shall be one adult for every six youth/children with junior high events and one adult for every eight youth/children with senior high events. There shall be one adult for every four children ages 0-2 years and one adult for every six children ages three years to entering junior high.

10. At least 50% of adults at an event where junior high are present shall be at least 21 or older.

11. There will be absolutely no drinking of alcohol or use of illegal drugs at or during any church-related activities or events. Any drinking of alcohol or use of illicit or illegal drugs will lead to immediate suspension and removal from the event.

12. Possession of firearms is forbidden.

B. Youth/child Behavior

Prior to any overnight or longer activity or event, youth/children shall be required to sign and abide by a covenant defining appropriate behavior.

III. Responses to Code Infractions at an activity or Event

A. Responding to Behaviors that Hinder Our Mission

In addition to the behaviors that are described above, there are other behaviors that may hinder the mission and purpose of our church or church group. Examples of these incidents include a chaperone who continually undermines program objectives or an event planner who neglects staff training or health and safety concerns, etc. When serious concerns arise:

The event coordinator or leader shall encourage the person raising the concern to talk directly with the person whose behavior is considered detrimental.
If the person raising the concern is unwilling or unable to talk directly on their own with the person in question or if the initial conversation is unproductive, then the event coordinator or leader shall meet with the two individuals to seek resolution.
If a mutually agreed-upon resolution is not possible, then the event coordinator/leader shall have the authority to prescribe a resolution.
Anonymous complaints or evaluations shall be considered unverifiable, and, therefore, will have no foundation for being officially addressed.
Persons whose behavior hinders the mission and goals of the ministry or whose negative behavior is repetitive may face review of their participation in leadership for that behavior by the person or group to whom they are accountable.
If the person who is perceived to be hindering the mission is the event coordinator/leader then the person who is raising the concern may report to the Policy Supervisor, pastor, Staff Parish Relations Committee, or person assigned to oversee this leader.
The church has the obligation to inform the Annual Conference of all persons whose behavior they deem to be inappropriate for working with youth and children. The Conference shall maintain a list of these people in conjunction with the State Patrol forms. The purpose of this list is to screen those who are requesting to work with youth/children. The church or Conference is not under obligation to report the reason for placement on the list with anyone other than the accused.

B. Responding to Incidents Involving Physical Accidents

The person who witnesses the accident shall share this information with the first aid staff or leader at the event or activity. The first aid staff shall in turn fill out the Accident Report Form, report the incident to the key leaders of the event, and notify the parents of the incident if this is deemed necessary by the first aid staff or leader.
The first aid staff and/or the event coordinator/leader are responsible for carefully documenting all aspects of the incident using the Accident Report Form. This report shall be recorded in the log and forwarded immediately to the Policy Supervisor of the church or staff person assigned to oversee this group.
The adult trained in first aid and/or the event coordinator/leader is responsible for carefully documenting all aspects of the incident.
The event coordinator/leader shall make contacts as needed with the Conference insurance company and the pastor of the church. This coordinator shall also determine whether there is need for an investigation or additional follow-up.

C. Responding to Allegations of Abuse

All reports of abuse shall be treated with utmost seriousness and confidentiality.
The highest priority shall be placed on securing the safety of the victim. In no case shall the accused be confronted until the safety of the victim is secured.
The person who receives the report of abuse shall immediately share this information with the event coordinator/leader unless the person suspected of abuse is the event leader, then the report should be made to the Policy Supervisor, pastor, or the authorities. The event coordinator/leader or Policy Supervisor is responsible for filling out the Abuse Incident Report Form and for reporting the incident to the key leaders of the event or pastor or authorities.
The Policy Supervisor is responsible for carefully documenting all aspects of the incident using the Abuse Incident Report Form. This report will be forwarded immediately to the pastor.
The person who first hears the allegation of abuse, in partnership with the Policy Supervisor, is responsible for reporting to the Child Protective Services or to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
The Policy Supervisor will notify the parents when and if it is clear that it is safe to do so.
Any volunteer or hired staff person accused of abuse shall be immediately relieved of duties related to this or any other church event involving youth or children and be isolated from further contact with participants, guests and others who may be negatively impacted by the individual’s presence until the review process is completed. The individual accused of abuse may not return to these types of duties until the Policy Supervisor has completed a review. This applies whether or not the alleged act of abuse occurred during a church-related event.
Whether or not the alleged act occurred during a church-related event, the leader and Policy Supervisor shall jointly review the incident to determine whether any additional actions are required. They shall also report the incident to appropriate parties (i.e., civil authorities, the Conference insurance company, etc.). All information concerning the incident shall be held in strict confidence.
If the incident is put under investigation by appropriate civil authorities, the investigation will be monitored by the Policy Supervisor and church officials until there is an outcome. All investigating will be the responsibility of civil authorities.
If there is no civil investigation or once the investigation by civil authorities is completed, the Policy Supervisor and/or leaders shall jointly review the incident to determine whether any further actions are needed.
The Policy Supervisor is responsible for contacting the accused and informing the accused of the nature of the process. The purpose of this meeting is not to interrogate the accused but to discuss the accusation. During meetings with the accused, one other mutually agreed-upon witness shall be present (e.g., a local pastor, district superintendent, the other coordinator, etc.).
After conducting a thorough review, the Policy Supervisor shall report the findings to the accused. If it is determined that the person has committed an act of abuse, the final goal of this process is to establish a future covenant with the offender that regulates his or her behavior at all levels of involvement with the church. This covenant shall include both an agreed-upon record of what offending actions were committed and agreed-upon solutions about what should be done in the future.
If no covenant is established, the accused shall remain removed from working with youth/children in the church until mediation is complete.
If no covenant is established, the accused may pick one mediator and the coordinator another mediator. These two mediators will then pick a third mediator, and these three people, combined with the accused and the coordinator will come to a decision. The mutually agreed upon mediator will serve as the facilitator for this group.
The covenant that governs participation in church-related youth/children events shall clearly state that failure to abide by the provisions of the covenant process shall result in permanent removal from working with youth/children in the church.
All documentation relating to the incident shall be confidentially filed in the Policy Supervisor’s locked files.
A list shall be maintained in conjunction with the State Patrol forms at the church and Conference office of those who may not participate in related events involving youth/children. The purpose of this list is to screen those who are requesting to work with youth/children. The church or Conference is not under obligation to report the reason for placement on the list with anyone other than the accused.
If a person is under some form of removal due to violation of any of these policies/guidelines and fails to report the same to a local church when initiating a desire to work with youth/children, that person shall be permanently removed from working with youth/children at all UMC events.
The church’s obligations to respond to allegations of abuse go beyond the State’s requirements. As Christians, we must also be prepared to respond to others:

Faithful response to the victim — take the allegations very seriously, respect victim’s privacy, provide sympathetic concern, no blaming the victim, absolutely no implication that the victim was in any way responsible for causing the abuse.
Faithful response to the Annual Conference — notify PNW Conference authorities (District Superintendent, Bishop) as soon as allegations are received; keep them aware of congregation’s actions; notify insurance agent.
Faithful response to the media — one person must be designated as spokesperson in advance and have a well-thought out, previously written out response.
Faithful response to the accused abuser — acknowledge that the person is of sacred worth. Remove accused abuser from position as a worker with youth/children until allegations are fully investigated and resolved.

D. Responding to Illegal Behavior

Any volunteer or hired staff person accused of felonious activity shall be immediately relieved of duties related to this or any other church-sponsored event and shall be isolated from further contact with participants, guests and others who may be negatively impacted by the individual’s presence until the review process is completed. If the felonious activity was not committed during a church-related event, then the Policy Supervisor along with the pastor or leader shall have discretion as to whether immediate or remedial action is required following the same procedures as listed above (see III.C.1-19). The individual accused of felonious activity may not return to duties until the church leadership has completed a review.

IV. Crisis Communication

A well-thought out plan of response should be kept on file with clergy, program staff persons, and the official designated spokesperson (Policy Supervisor) and an alternative chosen by the Church Council.
The District Superintendent and Bishop shall be informed of all investigations or allegations of abuse.
The spokesperson for the church should be a person who can speak calmly and thoughtfully in the glare of publicity; the person should answer questions honestly without adding extra or unnecessary information. They should be given permission to answer questions by saying, “I or we don’t know at this time.” NO ONE but the spokesperson is authorized to speak on behalf of the congregation. Spokesperson must be prepared to state the church’s policy for the prevention of child abuse, the church’s concern for the safety of the victim and all children, and the procedures the church has followed to reduce the risk of abuse. The spokesperson will have a prepared statement or written notes and not speak extemporaneously. The spokesperson will never make any statement indicating that the church does not take the allegation seriously or in any way blame the victim.