Child Protection Policy


General Purpose Statement
Bethesda Christian Fellowship (BCF) 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 BCF from incidents of misconduct or inappropriate behavior while also protecting our staff and volunteers (workers) from false accusations.

Definitions
For purposes of this policy, the terms ā€œchildā€ or ā€œchildrenā€ include all persons under the age of eighteen (18) years. The term ā€œworkerā€ includes both paid and unpaid persons who work with children. The term ā€œvolunteerā€ means anyone involved in teaching at childrenā€™s church, in overnight activities involving minors, in counseling of minors, or in one-on-one mentoring of minors.

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:
  1. Six Month Rule
    No person will be considered for any volunteer position involving contact with minors until she/he has been involved with BCF 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.
  2. Background Checks
    A national criminal background check is required for all employees (regardless of position) and ā€œvolunteersā€ as defined above. 
A disqualifying offense that will keep an individual from working with children will be determined by the church leadership team on a case-by-case basis in light of all the surrounding circumstances. Generally, convictions for an offense involving children and/or for 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 will also be a disqualifying event. 
The background check results will be maintained in confidence on file at the BCF.
Two Adult Rule
It is our goal that a minimum of two unrelated 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 classroom should remain open and there should be no fewer than three students with the adult teacher. We do not allow minors to be alone with one adult on our premises or in any sponsored activity unless in a counseling situation. 
Responding to Allegations of Child Abuse
For purposes of this policy, ā€œchild abuseā€ is any action (or lack of action) that endangers or harms a childā€™s physical, psychological or emotional health and development. Child abuse occurs in different ways and includes the following: 
  • Physical abuse ā€“ any physical injury to a child that is not accidental, such as beating, shaking, burns, and biting. 
  • Emotional abuse ā€“ 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 ā€“ 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 ā€“ 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. Staff and volunteers are required by law to report suspected child abuse if they are a mandated reporter. (Under the current PA CPSL, most employees and volunteers who work or volunteer with children are mandated reporters)
Being a mandated reporter means that if you suspect that a child is being abused, you must report it. However, if you are uncertain, please seek counsel from the ministry team before moving forward. In the event that an individual involved in the care of children at BCF has reasonable cause to suspect abuse or neglect of a child under his/her care, this should be reported immediately by taking the steps listed below (the state requires this to be done before the ministry team is notified):

Reporting Steps:
  1. Report it to the PA Child Protection Agency -one of two ways
  2. f you make a report by calling ChildLine, you must also complete and mail a Report of Suspected Child Abuse (CY47) form to the investigating agency within 48 hours (form can be found at www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov under ā€œformsā€)
  3. After making the report, notify a member of the church leadership team that you have made a suspected child abuse report.
 In the event that an incident of abuse or neglect is alleged to have occurred at BCF 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 or church member alleged to be the perpetrator of the abuse or misconduct will immediately be placed on leave pending an investigation and instructed to remain away from the premises during the investigation.  He or she should be instructed to have no contact with the victim or with witnesses. 
  3. All allegations of abuse should be reported to the civil authorities, and the organization will comply with the stateā€™s requirements regarding mandatory reporting of abuse as the law then exists. The organization will fully cooperate with the investigation of the incident by civil authorities. 
  4. The insurance company will be notified, and the organization will complete an incident report. Any documents received relating to the incident and/or allegations will immediately be forwarded to the insurance company. 
  5. Any person who is not found innocent of the alleged abuse or misconduct will be removed from their position working with children or youth. 

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.
Procedure for Going to/from Childrenā€™s Church
The children are considered under the care of their parents up to their dismissal to class. At the time they are dismissed they are then released to the childcare workers. A childcare worker must be present in the auditorium at the time of dismissal to ensure the childrenā€™s safety to their appropriate classes. Upon the end of the childrenā€™s church, the childcare workers will be responsible for releasing the child to the care of a parent or guardian in an orderly and safe way.
Hallway Policy
During the Sunday morning service an usher will be responsible to ensure there is no loitering in the hallways. Anyone found loitering will be asked to return the main sanctuary or leave the building.
Sick Child Policy
It is our desire to provide a healthy and safe environment for all of the children at BCF. 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 brought to class:
  • Fever, diarrhea, or vomiting within the last 24 hours;
  • Green or yellow runny nose;
  • Eye or skin infections; and/or
  • 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. 
Discipline Policy
It is the policy of BCF not to administer 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 a member of the leadership team if assistance is needed with disciplinary issues.
Restroom Guidelines
Children (when under the care of a childcare worker) who use the bathroom must be accompanied by an adult.  The adult should make sure the restrooms are unoccupied by non-participants before allowing children in the restroom and then remain outside the door.  If the child requests help or the parent has noted that the child needs help, then childcare may enter the restroom to assist as needed. 
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 childā€™s parent or guardian of the injury. 
  2. For injuries requiring medical treatment beyond simple First Aid, the parent and/or guardian will immediately be summoned in addition to the workerā€™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
BCF will provide training on this child protection policy to all new childcare workers and will strive to provide additional online resources. All workers are strongly encouraged to learn more regarding their responsibilities and PA state law by going to http://www.pa-fsa.org/Mandated-Reporters/Understanding-Mandated-Reporting/Who-are-Mandated-Reporters.

 

 

 

 

Welcoming Those with Felony Histories at BCF

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. II Peter 3:9

 

Our prayer is that you would find BCF to be a place where you will be accepted and loved, regardless of your past. Along with that, you will also find BCF to be a place where we share openly & honestly with each other if we see one headed in a dangerous direction.

In a desire to provide a safe environment for everyone to worship together and walk out the redemption that comes through the blood of Jesus Christ, we want to put some guidance in writing so there are no assumptions & we can cut down on miscommunication. We believe that Jesus came to set the captives free ā€“ including ourselves! -- But we also know that freedom can be a progression that may take a period of time. That period of time is different for each individual so each situation will be evaluated on an individual basis. 

If you are on parole or probation, we require that you make the Leadership Team aware of that as soon as possible. We want to sincerely honor any restrictions government authorities may have imposed, help you to be accountable to these restrictions, and avoid situations that would cause/tempt you to violate them. Finding out later or hearing about it from a second-hand source will make it much more difficult to establish any level of trust. 

We want everyone who attends to feel welcome and have the freedom to worship unhindered. The only way we know to do that effectively is to have open and honest conversation about what is in the past in an effort to set everyone up to succeed in the present & the future. If we as a Leadership Team believe the situation warrants a conversation with the entire church, we reserve the right to do so. As a Leadership Team we also take our responsibility as ā€œMandatory Reportersā€ very seriously and will not hesitate to report a crime if we believe one has been committed. We take every report of sexual mis-conduct seriously. 

If you are currently on probation or parole, we will require a conversation with you probation/parole officer to better understand his/her requirements so that you are not put in a compromising situation. To honor God, the government, and the congregation, this must happen before you may attend our congregation on a regular basis. It will be your responsibility to set up the meeting with probation/parole.

As it relates to registered sex offenders, some special procedures will be required, especially considering that your history is an easily accessible public record. Attendees should not have to be alarmed or panic or otherwise disengage in fellowship with you if they innocently discover your past from an Internet search. It is required that we share with the congregation your desire to attend and the nature of your offense (it will be somewhat generalized). You will need to attend this congregational meeting to answer any questions that may arise. We desire to create a family atmosphere that looks out for the best interests of all of us.

If you are a registered sex offender, regardless of probation/parole status, we require a meeting with the leadership team to determine how we can best walk with each other, to glorify the Lord, provide necessary accountability and provide a safe and healthy environment for everyone. Based on that discussion, we may need to agree on some specific accommodations, at least for a season, such as:

-          An assigned gender appropriate adult with you at all times when you are at the church. That person is required to be with you wherever you go so as to create a safe environment for our congregation but it is also to protect you should a compromising situation arise.

-          You may need to agree not to visit any home of anyone in the congregation that has minor children present during that visit.

-          The Leadership Team might request that anyone inviting you into their home seek their counsel, to head off any situations that could end badly for you and/or them. Of course, the decision is ultimately up to the head of the household. 

We will require regular updates on what you have in place to help you continue to grow in your relationship with the Lord and find healing. 

In summary, we want to create an environment void of as many temptations as possible where people are always safe & feel cared for. We do not want to see you re-offend for numerous reasons. Number one reason is that we donā€™t want anyone from our congregation violated in any way and number two is that we donā€™t want to see you go back to prison. 

Please know that we love you and want to see you succeed.