Children’s Worker Disclosure Form

The following guidelines are established for the safety and protection of the children and workers of FAITH Homeschool Inc. FAITH acknowledges that these guidelines are not ironclad rules, but the guidelines should be adhered to as much as possible. Because FAITH relies exclusively on volunteers to staff its ministries where childcare is required, it is understood that some flexibility is required to meet child care needs in emergencies and unusual circumstances. Nonetheless, FAITH strongly urges its staff and volunteers to adhere to these guidelines and above all, even if variations from these guidelines take place that the two primary objectives of these guidelines are maintained: that the children be protected from harm and that children's workers be protected from false accusations.

Guidelines:

1. All workers serving or caring for children under age 18 must fill out the Children's Workers Disclosure Form and receive the approval of the FAITH Board. No person shall be permitted to serve as a children's worker without first completing the form. Exceptions to this guideline may be authorized only by the FAITH Board.
2. Age - Workers must be at least eighteen years old and recognized as mature and responsible. Individuals less than eighteen may serve as helpers under the direct supervision of a qualified adult worker. In no case shall a teen under eighteen serve in a supervisory capacity.
3. Serious Communicable Diseases - Individuals with a known serious communicable disease shall not serve in children's ministries under circumstances where others may contract the disease from them.
4. Child Abuse, Molestation, Neglect, etc. - Persons who have been involved as a perpetrator in any incident of child abuse, child molestation, child neglect, assault of a child, homosexual acts or other deviant sexual behavior will not be allowed to serve in any children's ministry. Persons known by FAITH to be the subject of a pending felony arrest or pending felony charge for an alleged incident of child abuse, molestation, neglect, assault of a child, homosexuality or other sexually deviant behavior shall not serve in a children's ministry without express prior approval of the FAITH Board.
5. Staffing Guidelines:
   1. Children's workers should be present 15 minutes early when scheduled. A worker should not begin receiving children into a room until a second qualified worker has arrived.
   2. Except in emergency situations, no children's ministry should be staffed at any time by less than one qualified adult and at least one qualified helper.
   3. Only assigned workers or approved substitutes are to be allowed to work in childcare ministries (nursery through wee runners). The only exception is a parent or guardian with an upset child. If the FAITH Director or appropriate supervisor discovers someone in the nursery through wee runners, other than workers or approved substitutes on the attendance sheet, they should ask the person to leave.
   4. Absent exceptional circumstances, children under age 8 shall be released from a children's ministry only to parents or authorized adults who can properly identify themselves to the child care workers based on the system set in place. Workers may at their discretion refuse to release a child in their care if the person picking up the child cannot properly identify themselves as having authority to pick up the child or if the worker has concerns about the person's authority or maturity to take the child.
   5. Children under age 8 should not be permitted to leave the room without being accompanied by an adult. Workers should strictly avoid circumstances where a worker is left alone with children. Where an in-room restroom is available, divided doors (and doors left ajar) should be used to avoid having workers present alone with children behind closed doors. It is preferable for workers to remain outside the in-room restroom when the child is inside. Where out-of-room restrooms are used, workers should exhaust all possible means to avoid the need to accompany a child alone to the restroom. Workers should not allow themselves to be left alone with a child who is totally or partially disrobed (for diaper changing, toilet use, etc.). Where an absolute emergency requires a worker to be left alone with children, this should never be done unless another qualified worker is made aware of it and the worker in charge approves. FAITH cannot emphasize enough that it strongly disapproves of workers allowing themselves alone with children.
6. Children Leaving FAITH Assemblies or Services:

   Parents are urged not to allow children under age 8 to leave a FAITH assembly or service to go to the restroom or elsewhere in the building without being accompanied by an adult or a responsible older child. If a FAITH leader (Director, board member, hall monitor, etc) observes a child leaving a FAITH assembly without being accompanied by an adult or an older child they deem sufficiently responsible to escort the child, the child should be stopped and escorted back into the assembly or meeting service to the adult or other person responsible for the child.

7. Reporting Procedure:

   Any children's workers who have reason to believe that a child in their care has, during a FAITH activity, been subjected to child abuse, child molestation, fondling, or unlawful assaultive behavior, they should immediately report the incident to the FAITH Director, if available, if not, then to any member of the FAITH Board. Any such reported incidents shall be promptly investigated by the FAITH Board, if required by law or if deemed appropriate by the FAITH Board or the FAITH Director, to the proper legal authorities.

Adopted by the FAITH Board: June 7, 2009