Article I. Purpose Statement
The church is committed to the well being of each of its members and non-members, entrusted to us through our ministries and organizations. God calls us to make our churches safe places, protecting children and other vulnerable persons from all forms of exploitation and abuse. God calls us to create communities of faith where children and adults can participate in ministry in a safe and secure environment.
The Social Principles of the Church state, “…children must be protected from economic, physical, and sexual exploitation, and abuse.” Thus, in covenant with all congregations, we adopt this policy for the protection of children, youth and adults with physical, mental and or developmental disabilities.
Section 1.01 Definitions
Article II. Basis Procedures for Safe Ministries
Article IV. Basic procedure for responding to allegations of abuse of youth and adults with PMD.
(a) When an allegation of abuse is made, the first item is to determine, whether or not the person’s life is in immediate danger.
1) If the person is in immediate danger, the police, Sheriff’s Department and or DFS should be called, along with the child’s parent(s) or guardian(s). (In case of alleged abuse by parent, the parent in question should not be notified until the child is secured.)
2) If the person is not in immediate danger, the parent(s) or guardian(s) of that person will be notified immediately. The person who receives the report of the allegations of abuse will place the person who is the alleged victim of the abuse in a secure area, with the supervision of at least two adults not involved I the abuse incident, until the parent(s) or guardian(s) arrive.
3) The person who receives the report will determine if the victim’s injuries require administration of basic first aid. The person will complete the “Injury Report” form. Two copies will be made, one for the parents and the second on file in the Church office.
A. If the abuse allegation occurs on Church property or during a Church function off campus. The following procedures will follow after appropriate people have been contact. (see above)
May 1, 2008
The church is committed to the well being of each of its members and non-members, entrusted to us through our ministries and organizations. God calls us to make our churches safe places, protecting children and other vulnerable persons from all forms of exploitation and abuse. God calls us to create communities of faith where children and adults can participate in ministry in a safe and secure environment.
The Social Principles of the Church state, “…children must be protected from economic, physical, and sexual exploitation, and abuse.” Thus, in covenant with all congregations, we adopt this policy for the protection of children, youth and adults with physical, mental and or developmental disabilities.
Section 1.01 Definitions
(a) Youth, for purpose of disclosures of alleged abuse anyone under the age of 18 years old.
(b) Adults with physical, mental and or developmental disabilities will be referred to as Adults with PMD in this policy.
(c) Physical Abuse: Abuse in which a person deliberately and intentionally causes bodily harm to a vulnerable person. Examples may include violent battery with a weapon, burning, shaking, kicking, choking, and fracturing bones and any of a wide variety of non-accidental injuries to a youth’s body or adult with PMD.
(d) Emotional Abuse: Abuse in which a person exposes a vulnerable person to spoken and/or unspoken violence or emotional cruelty. Vulnerable persons exposed to emotional abuse may have experienced being locked in a closet, being deprived of parental affection, being constantly told they are stupid or bad.
(e) Neglect: Abuse in which a person endangers a vulnerable person’s health, safety, or welfare through negligence. Neglect may include withholding food, clothing, medical care, education, and even affection and affirmation of the child’s self-worth.
(f) Sexual Abuse: Abuse in which sexual contact between a vulnerable person and an adult (or another more powerful youth) occurs. The vulnerable person is never truly capable of consenting to or resisting such contact and/or sexual acts.
(g) DFS, Department of Family Services. An agency of the Department of Social Services in Pensylvania which investigates allegations of abuse against children/youth. Any person with responsibility for the care of children is required to make a report to DFS if they have reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or if they have observed conditions that would reasonably result in child abuse.
Article II. Basis Procedures for Safe Ministries
(a) At all times during any church-sponsored program, event or ministry involving children under the age of 18 years old, at least two adult workers should be present. If possible one adult should be female and the other male. In situations where multiple youth groups are meeting at the church at the same time, the second adult may rotate among the different youth groups to ensure that two adults are present.
(b) When two adult workers are not available at all times in a room during church sponsored programs involving, children, doors to rooms used for such activities shall remain open, unless the interior of the room is clearly visible from the hallway.
(c) The adult worker who will be present and assume primary responsibility for a church-sponsored program involving youth shall be at least 18 years of age. For church-sponsored programs involving teenagers, the adult worker who will be present and assume primary responsibility shall be at least 5 years older than the oldest teen participant in the program.
(d) At least one adult worker in each church sponsored program involving infants, children and youth should attend a First Aid and CPR class.
(e) Adult workers in child and youth programs in the Church should participate in an annual orientation conducted by Grace UMC. This orientation will include a review of these policies and procedures, and a written covenant signed by all participants to uphold these policies and procedures.
(f) The parents of children and youth participating in church-sponsored programs will be given advance notice of expected activities for those programs. Parents will be provided with advance notice of variations in usual schedules and activities.
(g) Programs or events involving children, youth or Adults with PMD that use church property but are not sponsored by the church will be asked to sign a written covenant agreeing to uphold these policies and procedures.
(h) If an accident occurs, first seek medical attention, if basic first aid does not control the situation, parents or guardians must be contacted, and or medical emergency workers. The adult in charge must fill out an accident form and make 2 copies, one for the parents, and one to be put on file, in the church office.
Accident forms are available in every room of the church.
Article III. Procedures for Volunteer Workers
(a) All volunteers, staff members or any person working in a church-sponsored program with youth will complete a volunteer application form providing their name, social security number and references to a designated person.
(b) The designated person may perform a police background check on all persons working with youth in any capacity. Exception to this is a person that is certified with the Missouri Area Conference Safe Sanctuaries program and can document it.
(c) All information obtained from the police background check will be held in strict confidence. The records will be kept in a locked file in the church office.
(d) Anyone with a prior conviction of any form of child abuse will not be eligible to work with youth, adults with PMD in any capacity.
(e) If the Pastor is aware of other at-risk behaviors, he/she shall discourage the participation of that individual in children/youth and adults with PMD related activities.
(f) Children under the age of 11 years of age are not permitted to wander the building unsupervised or to use rooms not assigned to them for use. Children under the age of 11 years of age must have an adult assigned to watch them.
Article IV. Basic procedure for responding to allegations of abuse of youth and adults with PMD.
(a) When an allegation of abuse is made, the first item is to determine, whether or not the person’s life is in immediate danger.
1) If the person is in immediate danger, the police, Sheriff’s Department and or DFS should be called, along with the child’s parent(s) or guardian(s). (In case of alleged abuse by parent, the parent in question should not be notified until the child is secured.)
2) If the person is not in immediate danger, the parent(s) or guardian(s) of that person will be notified immediately. The person who receives the report of the allegations of abuse will place the person who is the alleged victim of the abuse in a secure area, with the supervision of at least two adults not involved I the abuse incident, until the parent(s) or guardian(s) arrive.
3) The person who receives the report will determine if the victim’s injuries require administration of basic first aid. The person will complete the “Injury Report” form. Two copies will be made, one for the parents and the second on file in the Church office.
A. If the abuse allegation occurs on Church property or during a Church function off campus. The following procedures will follow after appropriate people have been contact. (see above)
i. The pastor will be notified immediately of the abuse allegation. The pastor will be responsible for notifying the appropriate authorities of the annual conference, the church’s insurance agent, the church’s attorney, and the church’s designated media spokesperson. (In case of alleged abuse by the pastor, the chair of the staff/parish committee shall assume this responsibility.)
ii. The alleged abuser will be told of the allegation immediately. This person will be removed from further participation in church-sponsored programs that involve youth or adults with PMD. Based on the final outcome of the abuse allegation, the person’s further involvement will be the decision of the staff/parish and the pastor.
iii. The person who receives the allegation of abuse will complete the “Report of Suspected Incident of Abuse” form within 24 hours of receiving the allegation. The completed form will be given to the pastor or designated person. The pastor will share the completed form with appropriate state and annual conference representatives to support the investigation of the abuse allegation. The form will be kept in a locked file in the church office.
iv. The church’s designated media spokesperson will make any necessary statements or responses to the new media. The identities of the person who is the alleged victim, the parents/guardians, and the alleged abuser will be kept confidential.
v. The pastor or a person designated by the pastor will prepare a brief statement about the allegation of abuse to share with the congregation. This statement will inform the congregation that an allegation of abuse has been made without giving unnecessary details, placing blame, or revealing the identities of the person, the parents/guardians, the alleged abuser or his/her family.
May 1, 2008
