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CHILD AND YOUTH
PROTECTION POLICY
Ponte Vedra United Methodist Church
2012 training
WHY DO WE HAVE ONE?The Gospel calls us to be engaged in
ministry with children and youth. We should not allow the risks to undermine or stop our ministry. Rather we must:
Acknowledge the risks and develop a practical plan to address these issues
Take steps to prevent harm to our children
Continue to answer the Gospel’s imperative to be in ministry with children, thus making a difference in their lives
DEFINITIONS AND STEPS
PVUMC CYPP 2012
CHILD, YOUTH, AND ADULT Child: anyone age 11 or under (5th grade
or lower) Youth: anyone not a child and under the
age of 18 Adult: anyone age 18 or older AND has
finished high school
PAID STAFF, ADULT VOLUNTEER, SCREENED ADULT Paid staff person: someone who is paid
by the church, overseen by SPRC, and screened
Adult volunteer is an adult who is NOT screened
Screened adult is a volunteer who has gone through the screening process.
May or may not be members, but must be regular attendees and active in church activities for at least 6 months
SCREENING PROCESS Any adult who works with students
regularly must be screened (background checked)
Screening is good for 5 years as long as consecutive relationships are maintained
Volunteers for a church ministry must fill out an application and be interviewed by the lead staff person of that ministry
All background check results and applications will be kept in a LOCKED file drawer with minimal access
SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN AND
YOUTH
PVUMC CYPP 2012
GENERAL RULES All activities involving children or youth
must be supervised by at least one screened adult
Each room used for C/Y should have a window in the door
“two person rule” is defined as having at least 2 people in any classroom or setting, at least one of which must be a screened adult or staff person
CLASSROOM SUPERVISION Infant-2nd grade: at least one (when
feasible, 2) screened adults which are not family members.
Grades 3-5: As least one screened adult at all times, preferred is 2. Children should be escorted to bathrooms by a screened adult
Grades 6-12: At least one screened adult in the room at all times, and a designated adult checking rooms randomly
OTHER DEFINITIONS/THINGS TO
REMEMBER
PVUMC CYPP 2012
Open Door Policy : parents, staff members, and volunteers are permitted (when reasonable) to visit or observe classrooms at any time.
Sign-in and Sign-out procedures should be used for children up through 2nd grade. There should be a list of the approved adults to pick up EACH CHILD
In the time following a group event, it is expected that the screened adult (or staff member) in charge uses their best judgment for supervision of remaining students
TRANSPORTATION
PVUMC CYPP 2012
REQUIREMENTS Drivers must be known to the adult in
charge of the event A C/Y may only be transported in a non
family vehicle if the driver is a screened adult or paid staff member (over 18)
Operators of church-owned vehicles must be at least 21 and pass the conference approved driver screening
Drivers must have a valid license for the vehicle they are operating
Drivers must require all seatbelts to be worn at all times
REQUIREMENTS (CON’T)
Drivers should be advised of the designated route and NOT deviate from it except in an emergency or road detour
Drivers should not use cell phones except for required communication with other drivers
Drivers should NOT text message or browse on their phones while driving
When a trip is more than 500 miles RT all drivers must be on the “approved driver list”
GUIDELINES Drivers should be accompanied by
another adult Drivers should receive training for a
church owned vehicle (before they use one)
Youth who drive their own vehicles should be reminded regularly of the importance of vehicle safety
REQUIREMENTS There will be at least 2 screened adults
present for all trips, retreats, and other activities where students will be gathered overnight
At least 1 screened adult for each gender present
At single gender events there should be 2 screened adults of that gender
The person in charge of the event will carry permission slips including medical release forms
GUIDELINES In a hotel type setting, separate rooms
are necessary for students and adults Assignments should be made to space
adult rooms between student rooms Random hall checks should be made by
2 adults of the same gender (for the rooms they are checking)
Hotels should have interior facing rooms
ON-LINE SAFETY AND COMMUNICATION Church computers that are set up for
public youth should be in public areas Communication with students should
stop by 10 on week nights and 11 on weekends
Content on personal sites (to which students have access) should be kept within reasonable restrictions
RESPONDING TO ALLEGATIONS
PVUMC CYPP 2012
MANDATORY REPORTS Florida Statute 39.201 entitled
“mandatory reports” states:“and person who knows, or has reasonable
cause to suspect, that a child is abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, legal custodian, caregiver, or other person responsible for the child’s welfare, as defined in this chapter…shall report such knowledge or suspicion to the department.
STEPS TO TAKE If you are not the staff person in charge
of your area, immediately contact them Together you should make a written
report and call the authorities Notify the Pastor Follow up