Valley Baptist Church Safety and Anti-Abuse Policy

General Purpose Statement Valley Baptist Church seeks to provide a safe and secure environment for the children who participate in our programs and activities. By implementing the below practices, our goal is to protect the children of Valley Baptist Church from incidents of misconduct or inappropriate behavior while also protecting our staff and volunteers (workers) from false accusations. One overarching policy should be stated up front: HIGHLIGHT. The protection of the children that attend Valley Baptist Church is of paramount importance; therefore there should never be a situation where any adult is in an isolated or one-on-one situation with any minor that is not related to them. Violations of this principle should be addressed immediately and treated as an emergency, and the deacons and pastor should be notified ASAP.

Definitions For purposes of this policy, the terms “child” or “children” include all persons under the age of eighteen years. The “worker” includes both paid and volunteer persons who work with children.

Selection of Workers All persons who desire to work with the children participating in our programs and activities will be screened. This screening includes the following:

a. Six-Month Rule
 No applicant will be considered for any position involving contact with minors until she/he has been involved with Valley Baptist Church for a minimum of six (6) months. This time of interaction between our leadership and the applicant allows for better evaluation and suitability of the applicant for working with children.

b. Written Application.
All persons seeking to work with children must complete and sign a written application in a form to be supplied by VBC. The application will request basic information from the applicant and will inquire into their previous experience with children, previous church affiliation, reference and employment information, as well as disclosure of any previous criminal convictions. The application form will be maintained in confidence on file at the Valley Baptist Church office.

c.  Personal Interview
Upon completion of the application, a face-to-face interview may be scheduled with the applicant to discuss his/her suitability for the position. Interview questions:   1. WHY do you want to work with kids/youth?   2. What is your prior experience working with kids/youth?    3.  Have you ever been accused of having an improper relationship with a minor?    4.    Can you summarize the major points of our child protection policy?   5. Do you agree without hesitation to follow it, particularly the rule that forbids one-on-one contact with minors?

d. Reference Checks:
Before a new applicant is permitted to work with children, at least two of the applicant’s references will be checked. Documentation of the reference checks will be maintained in confidence on file at Valley Baptist Church. At a minimum, TWO references need to be contacted, and both must be institutional. 

e. Criminal Background Check
A national and state criminal background check is required for all employees (regardless of position) and for the following categories of volunteers: Any children or youth workers (volunteer or paid) who will regularly work with youth (over 18 hours/year.) Also, anybody who engages in pastoral counseling (volunteer or paid) must also clear a criminal background check. 

There shall be no one-on-one mentorship of children permitted at Valley Baptist Church or any official events sponsored by Valley Baptist Church. Any sort of one-on-one contact of children by adults at such events, or on the site of VBC is unauthorized and unacceptable. Before a background check is run, prospective workers will be asked to sign an authorization form allowing the church to run the check. If an individual declines to sign the authorization form, she/he will be unable to work with children.

What constitutes a disqualifying offense that will keep an individual from working with children will be determined by The Valley Baptist Leadership Team and Deacons on a case-by-case basis in light of all the surrounding circumstances. Convictions for an offense involving children, convictions of a sexual nature, and/or offenses involving violence, dishonesty, illegal substances, indecency, and any conduct contrary to our mission will preclude someone from being permitted to work with children. Failure to disclose a criminal conviction on the application form will also be a disqualifying event. Generally speaking, prior documented accusations of any sort of offense involving minors will be disqualifying from volunteer work unless evidence is produced that 100% exonerates the accused beyond any shred of doubt. Even then, such a situation should be approached with extreme caution. 

The background check authorization form and results will be maintained in confidence on file at the church office.

Two Adult Rule It is our rule that a minimum of two adult workers will be in attendance at all times when children are being supervised during our programs and activities. Some youth classes may have only one adult teacher in attendance during the class session; in these instances, doors to the adjoining classroom should remain open where there will be another adult teacher. We do not allow minors to be alone with one adult on our premises or in any VBC sponsored activity. Even in a counseling situation, the parents or guardians should be on site, and the session should happen in an “open doors” session.  

Responding to Allegations of Child Abuse For purposes of this policy, “child abuse” is any action (or lack of action) that endangers or harms a child’s physical, psychological or emotional health and development. Child abuse occurs in different ways and includes the following:

  • Physical abuse – any physical injury to a child that is not accidental, such as beating, shaking, burns, and biting.

  • Emotional abuse – emotional injury when the child is not nurtured or provided with love and security, such as an environment of constant criticism, belittling and persistent teasing.

  • Sexual abuse – any sexual activity between a child and an adult or between a child and another child at least four years older than the victim, including activities such as fondling, exhibitionism, intercourse, incest, and pornography.

  • Neglect – depriving a child of his or her essential needs, such as adequate food, water, shelter, and medical care.

Childcare workers may have the opportunity to become aware of abuse or neglect of the children under our care. If an individual involved in the care of children at Valley Baptist Church becomes aware of suspected abuse or neglect of a child under his/her care, this should be reported immediately to the Pastor, head deacon, or any member of the church leadership team for further action including reporting to authorities as may be mandated by state law. In the event that an incident of abuse or neglect is alleged to have occurred at Valley Baptist Church or during our sponsored programs or activities, the following procedure shall be followed:

  1. The parent or guardian of the child will be notified.

  2. The worker alleged to be the perpetrator of the abuse or misconduct will immediately be placed on leave from working with children pending an investigation and instructed to remain away from the premises during the investigation.

  3. Civil authorities will be notified, and Valley Baptist Church will comply with the state’s requirements regarding mandatory reporting of abuse as the law then exists. Valley Baptist Church will fully cooperate with the investigation of the incident by civil authorities.

  4. Our insurance company will be notified, and we will complete an incident report.  Any documents received relating to the incident and/or allegations will immediately be forwarded to the insurance company.

  5. The Pastor will be our spokesperson to the media concerning incidents of abuse or neglect unless he is alleged to be involved. In that event, the head deacon or a member of the Great Commission Association will serve as spokesperson. We will seek the advice of legal counsel before responding to media inquiries or releasing information to the congregation. All other representatives of the church should refrain from speaking to the media.

  6. A pastoral visit will be arranged for those who desire it.

  7. Any person who is not found innocent of the alleged abuse or misconduct will be removed from their position working with children or youth.

  8. IF the pastor or other ministry leader is involved, then a report of the abuse should be made to the deacons and/or female members of the church leadership team. In addition, such suspected abuse should be reported to law enforcement, the phone numbers listed below, the Great Commission Association, AND the Southern Baptist Convention at large, as well as Guidepost Solutions, who handles such cases: https://www.sbc.net/resources/resources-on-sex-abuse/ 

Mandated Reporters: Any adult employee or volunteer at VBC who has more than 32 hours per year of direct contact or supervision of minors (under 18) is considered a mandated reporter and must have mandated reporter training, and this training is offered and paid for by Valley Baptist. Generally, a mandated reporter MUST report suspected abuse within 36 hours of discovery, and that mandated reporter is NOT responsible for investigating the claims to see if they are true. Reports of abuse and neglect can be reported to these hotlines: 1-800-606-6618 or 831-755-4661 More information is here: /https://capcmonterey.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CAPC-When-how-to-call-MR-information-2024-8-6-24.pdf 

Open Door Policy Classroom doors should remain open unless there is a window in the door or a side window beside it. Doors should never be locked while persons are inside the room.

Teenage Workers We recognize that there may be times when it is necessary or desirable for babysitters (paid or volunteer) who are themselves under the age of 18 to assist in caring for children during programs or activities. The following guidelines apply to teenage workers:

  • Must be at least age 14

  • Must be screened as specified above, minus the institutional reference checks.

  • Must be under the supervision of an adult and must never be left alone with children.

Check-in/Check-out Procedure For children below Third Grade, a security check-in/check-out procedure will be followed. The child will be signed in by a parent or guardian.The parent or guardian must be present in order to sign out the child from our care.

Sick Child Policy It is our desire to provide a healthy and safe environment for all of the children at Valley Baptist Church Parents are encouraged to be considerate of other children when deciding whether to place a child under our care. In general, children with the following symptoms should NOT be dropped off:

  • Fever, diarrhea, or vomiting within the last 48 hours

  • Green or yellow runny nose

  • Regular cough

  • Eye or skin infections

  • Other symptoms of communicable or infectious disease

Children who are observed by our workers to be ill will be separated from other children and the parent or guardian will be contacted to request that the child be picked up for the day.

Medications Policy It is the policy of Valley Baptist Church not to administer either prescription or non-prescription medications to the children under our care. Medications should be administered by a parent.

Exceptions to the medication policy may be granted to parents of children with potentially life-threatening conditions (such as asthma or severe allergic reactions). Parents of such children should address their situation with the current children’s leader to develop a plan of action.

Discipline Policy It is the policy of Valley Baptist Church NOT to administer any form of corporal punishment, even if parents have suggested or given permission for it. There should be no spanking, grabbing, hitting, or other physical discipline of children. Workers should consult with the pastor or head of deacons if assistance is needed with disciplinary issues.

Restroom Guidelines Children five years of age and younger should use a classroom bathroom if one is available. If a classroom bathroom is not available, workers should escort a group of children to the hallway bathroom. They should always go in a group, never taking a child to the bathroom alone. The workers should check the bathroom first to make sure that it is empty, and then allow the children inside. The workers should then remain outside the bathroom door and escort the children back to the classroom. If a child is taking longer than seems necessary, the worker should open the bathroom door and call the child's name. If a child requires assistance, the workers should prop open the bathroom door, and leave the stall door open as they assist the child.

 For children over the age of five, at least one adult male should take boys to the restroom and at least one adult female should take girls. The worker should check the bathroom first to make sure that the bathroom is empty, then allow the children inside. The worker should then remain outside the bathroom door and escort the children back to the classroom.

For the protection of all, workers should never be alone with a child in a bathroom with the door closed and never be in a closed bathroom stall with a child. Parents are strongly encouraged to have their children visit the bathroom prior to each class.

Accidental Injuries to Children In the event that a child or youth is injured while under our care, the following steps should be followed:

1. For minor injuries, scrapes, and bruises, workers will provide First Aid (Band-Aids, etc.) as appropriate and will notify the child’s parent or guardian of the injury at the time the child is picked up from our care.

2. For injuries requiring medical treatment beyond simple First Aid, the parent and/or guardian will immediately be summoned in addition to the worker’s supervisor. If warranted by circumstances, an ambulance will be called.

3. Once the child has received appropriate medical attention, an incident report will be completed in the case of injuries requiring treatment by a medical professional.

Training Valley Baptist Church will provide training on this child protection policy to all new childcare workers and will strive to provide opportunities for additional training classes or events on an annual basis. All workers are strongly encouraged to attend these training events.