Safe Congregation Policy and ProceduresUnitarian Universalist Society of Bangor Adopted ______________________________ (Reviewed annually and amended as needed by the Church Council)
Table of Contents I. UUSB Philosophies regarding preschoolers, children, and youth programs II. Continuum of Abuse, chart from Creating Safe Congregations, edited by Hoertdorfer and Sinkford III. Code of ethics IV. Policies for assuring safety of children and youth
V. Procedures for assuring safety of children and youth
VI. Forms to be copied for procedures
The UUSB seeks to provide a safe place for members and friends of the congregation to explore spiritual growth. Safety includes protection from harm, be it physical, sexual or psychological. The safety of our children is of particular concern. Adults who feel threatened or harassed by another member of the congregation should attempt to deal with it face to face. If this is not successful, then the matter should be dealt with through steps outlined in the UUSB Disruptive Behavior Policy. As a liberal religious community our doors are open to all. This includes people with past criminal records. Should a criminal record come to light, the person will be treated with the respect and dignity which we profess as part of our faith while we also assure the safety of our members and their families. Should the person have a record of violence against children, and is registered as such, the Safe Congregation policy and procedures will be strictly enforced to protect the safety and welfare of our members and children while providing a spiritual home for the individual. The first priority of the U.U. Society of Bangor is the safety and well being of its members and children. REGISTERED SEXUAL OFFENDERS: Any person attending the UUSB who is known to have been convicted of a sexual offense will be identified to those who need to know: Minister, Director of Religious Education and members of the Committee on Ministry. Contracts for behavior will be negotiated on a case by case basis to assure the person behaves appropriately and remains in the area of our facility where she or he can be observed and can be accounted for. No contact with children will be allowed unless the circumstances are negotiated and there is direct supervision. Other boundaries and requirements will be negotiated on an individual basis. A copy of the negotiated contract will be signed by the minister and the individual and kept confidentially in the church office locked box. The DRE and Committee on Ministry members will know of its content and whereabouts. Any breech of the contract will mean the person will no longer welcome in the congregation. MANDATED REPORTING Under Title 22, subsection 4011-A, the following are mandated to report child abuse: A clergy member acquiring the information as a result of clerical professional work except for information received during confidential communications, Any person who has assumed full, intermittent or occasional responsibility for the care or custody of children, regardless of whether the person receives compensation, and Any person with a church or religious institution who serves in an administrative capacity or has otherwise assumed a position of trust or responsibility to the members of that church or religious institution, while acting in that capacity, regardless of whether the person receives compensation. THE CHILDREN’S PROGRAM COMMITTEE The mission of the Children’s Program Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor is to offer children a structured and safe environment that provides experiences that promote an awareness of themselves as:
II. Continuum of Abuse, from the book, Creating Safe Congregations Edited by Patricia Hoertdorfer and Bill Sinkford, UUA, 1997 p. 41 III Religious Education code of Ethics All persons working with the youth of our congregation as religious educators or in any other capacity will sign and agree to follow the Code of Ethics based on the one developed by the Liberal Religious Educator’s Association (LRED). See appendix IV. Policies for assuring safety of children and youth The best way to assure safety is by ongoing training and an environment of mutual caring where children and their caregivers have chances to speak and be heard. In the classroom: Sunday morning: This time extends from the time when we take the children out of the sanctuary at 10:15 until parents come to pick them up at 11:15. Adults will teach in teams of two . In the nursery two teens who have been trained and certified in Childcare will be present at all times. Adults will be available to the teens for supervision. If a second teen is not available then two adults will be present with the one teen. If at any time there is inadequate staff to teach classes or provide for childcare, the children will be returned to their parent. Doors in the RE area have been fitted with glass windows so activities can be monitored with out disturbing the class. No member of the RE staff will be alone with a child . Children are not allowed in classrooms unsupervised. The church doors are open with people coming and going. Without direct adult supervision, there is no way to prevent a child from leaving the church or to prevent a stranger from entering. Prudence dictates that parents have direct supervision of their children. Parents and guardians are responsible for their children other than the Sunday school hour of 10:15 to 11:15. Parents are responsible for their children’s safety, at any time other than class time. They are responsible for any actions of the child(ren) that are harmful to people or property. Parents can not assume that simply because the DRE or other church person is downstairs that their child is being supervised. Scheduled church events: When there is childcare provided for activities other than Sunday mornings, for whatever age groups, the same policies apply as on Sunday mornings. No R.E. staff will have contact with children or youth outside of class. No communication will take place for any purpose other than church related activities. On church property Outdoors: Any child or group in our courtyard, front facing Park Street, or back facing Center Street, will be supervised by their classroom leaders. Indoor rules of conduct for running, jumping, rough play, and loudness, apply to the outdoors. Before and after church children often play together while parents continue coffee hour conversations, it is imperative that all parents /guardians are responsible for the safety of their children. Kitchen areas: The upstairs kitchen has large ovens and very hot steamers for sterilizing dishes. Both the upstairs and downstairs kitchens have knives and breakable glasses and dishes. Occasionally a classroom activity or fundraising opportunity may involve children’s participation in the kitchen, always with adult supervision. Teens often use the kitchens during youth group and sleepovers. Other than these times, children should be kept out of the kitchens for their own safety. It has happened that during coffee hour, while adults are cleaning up, spirited games of TAG have propelled children into the kitchen to run around the island. This is completely unacceptable. Any adult seeing any child running through either kitchen needs to kindly inform that child to stop. Parents and guardians are responsible for keeping their children out of the kitchens. Dorothy Memorial: Children are to be supervised in the Dorothy at all times by their parent/guardians and other adults who see dangerous behavior. Playing on the folded up chairs and tables, and running through crowds of people at coffee hour are dangerous behaviors. Children should be reminded that running in this space, or anywhere in church, is NEVER safe. Running puts smaller children and adults with infirmities at risk. Sanctuary As in the Dorothy or the kitchens, the sanctuary has its own particular dangerous areas. At the front near the pulpit there are electrical wires and at the back near the balcony are steps that children love to play on. Both areas need to be kept free of children for their own protection. As for safety during worship services, there are cards on the back of each pew pertaining to proper behavior for children and the adults who worship with them. Our worship begins at 10:00, and until they leave the sanctuary at approximately 10:15, the children are the responsibility of their parent/guardian. If a child leaves the sanctuary for a bathroom break or to go elsewhere in the church or outside, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to accompany the child. Off church property Transportation: Any child or youth transported by a church staff member, teacher, or volunteer, must have a permission slip signed by their parent or guardian. In the case of riding on public transportation, in Bangor or anywhere else, a separate permission slip is required. On youth group outings where youth person may have driver’s licenses and offer a ride to another youth, this needs to be dealt with by the parents of the involved youths, and is not covered by church policy. North East District NED events, such as conferences or workshops, daily or overnight, have their own rules and regulations. While the policies and procedures for these events are in line with those of the UUSB, they are specifically designed for the safety and enjoyment of the participants of these events. The behavior of children and youth at district events is outlined in a contract signed by the participant and their parent/guardian before engaging in any of these events. General Assembly Each year at GA (General Assembly) there is a youth program. This involves youth housing, workshops, a youth caucus, and more. Any youth under 18 years who is sent with the financial or other support of church council or Hersey Bequest must adhere to the rules put forth by the YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists). The UUSB will not be responsible for any adult or youth who does not comply. Sponsors and youth will be familiar with code of ethics and expected behavior before going. There is a packet sent in which each youth must enter into a covenantal agreement with their parent/guardian and with the UUA as to how they will behave on their GA trip. Going to GA is an enriching, joyful, growing experience for our youth, and they need to understand that going to GA without parents is a privilege and not a right. V. Procedures for assuring the safety of our children and youth Background checks All staff members, teachers, volunteers, and facilitators who will have an ongoing relationship with and access to the RE program and RE area of the church will have background checks run on them. These are done in three areas: State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), Department of Human Services (DHS), and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The cost is charged to the church, and the findings of these investigations are kept in a confidential file in the church. Should any of these departments report past violations or reports, the DRE and the minister will determine further steps to insure safety of minors. In the case of an individual who discloses, or is found to have, past offenses, each case will be evaluated individually. The inherent worth and dignity of the adult will be respected, but safety of our children is top priority. The minister and DRE will work with the individual, apprising council as needed. Registration process: It is imperative for the DRE and participating RE committee members to have access to the registration database for the RE program. Parents and guardians who register their children are asked to provide information such as name, age, and home address and telephone number for ongoing church contact as well as for emergencies. They are also asked to provide information regarding allergies, special needs, and anything we should know about in classrooms and during church events relating to health and safety. This information is kept in the computer in the DRE’s office in a database, as well as on the file cards that are filled out through the church year. If there is a need to keep these records confidential, the guardian or parent must advise the DRE as to the child’s needs. Incident reports In the event that any injury or any safety violation occurs on church property during church functions, an incident report must be filled out as soon as possible. They are located in the DRE’s office and in the supply room in the RE area for access when the office is locked. Incident reports are filed with the DRE, who will then contact parent/guardian(s) of the child(ren) involved. If there is immediate concern and the DRE is not available, any RE Committee member or church staff on the premises should be next. The DRE will immediately notify the minister, RE Committee, and council, as needed. In the event of criminal activity reported, the police and/or DHS officials will also be notified. The UUMA code of conduct requires the DRE and the minister to be mandated reporters. Permission slips For travel, or walking trips that take children and youth off church grounds, permission slips need to be signed by each participant’s parent/guardian. In the case of NED or General Assembly events, the permission slips generated by those groups will take the place of those generated by UUSB. VI. Forms to be copied for procedures In this next section there are forms to be kept on file and accessible for implementing aforementioned procedures. It is imperative that these be kept up to date and reviewed yearly. Particularly when dealing with agencies such as DHS, SBI, and DMV who have specific forms that they will recognize and process. Our own church documents need to be continually reviewed and updated as our church family grows and changes, and as our RE programming changes each year, or even within the year. The forms that can be copied are in the following order:
UUA PROFESSIONAL GUIDELINES UUSB CODE OF ETHICS
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