Child Safety Policy
Title: Child Safety Policy
Oversight Board: Mayflower Board of Deacons
Effective Date: 9-11-2023
Version Number: 2
Policy Statement: It is the policy of Mayflower Church that our facilities are adequate and appropriate, and our childcare workers trained and equipped, to ensure the safety of children in our care.
Purpose: The purpose of this Child Safety Policy is to define safety standards for childcare during children’s ministry activities at Mayflower Church. These are primarily nursery care and Discipletown children’s ministry. This policy is not meant to define child safety for teen ministries, although some elements may apply.
Description
Child Protection – child protection at Mayflower includes
Formal sign-in
This Child Safety policy
The 2-adult/never alone policy
Annual CORI-check of all child care workers
Live-stream security cameras in hallways and childcare rooms.
Children (defined as any individual under 12 years of age) are never alone with an adult worker in the church nursery or any youth program. There will either be two CORI’D adults or one CORI’D adult and a monitored, live, security camera. Childcare workers never change baby diapers or accompany a child to the toilet alone. If a child cannot toilet alone then the child’s guardian will be contacted for assistance.
Mayflower maintains a record of children signed into nursery or youth ministry program. A child’s guardian defines allergies and who may retrieve a child when a program is dismissed. Children are only released to the person specified by the guardian.
Child discipline is limited to “time out.” The child’s guardian will be contacted if children cry and cannot be comforted quickly and for behavior which is disruptive, harmful, or otherwise inappropriate.
Heath and safety procedures will be implemented to minimize exposure to or transmission of disease. Preventive measures include washing hands prior to handling; ensuring child care areas are clean; and emergency fire, safety, and first aid procedures.