Only female staff and volunteers are allowed to assist in the church nursery. Those who participate in this field of ministry must be born-again Christians, and at least eighteen years of age. We also require that nursery workers have been in regular attendance at our church for at least one year. Anyone who has ever been convicted of child abuse will not be allowed to work with children. Other criminal offenses may also disqualify an individual from serving as a nursery worker.

Prior to assisting in the nursery, adult nursery staff will be expected to:

• Read the Apostolic Faith Church Volunteer Handbook.
• Take the online child safety training recommended by the church insurance company. (Information on how to access this training is available at www.apostolicfaith.org/library/safety.) Print documentation which indicates successful completion of the training, and provide a copy to the pastor.
• Be thoroughly familiar with the contents of this document.
• Watch the video regarding how to give CPR posted online by the American Heart Association. This can be accessed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9T25SMyz3A
• Submit a Worker Application form which includes three personal references. Applicants are asked to disclose any matter which may affect their suitability to work with children and youth. Authorization to do a background check is included as part of this form. (The information obtained through this process will be kept confidential.)

In addition, we recommend that all adult nursery staff read the document “What You Can Do About Child Abuse,” published by the Oregon Department of Human Services, publication #DHS 9061. It is available at https://apps.state.or.us/Forms/Served/de9061.pdf.

Nursery personnel must also be prepared to fulfill on an ongoing basis any additional training or recertification requirements established by the Apostolic Faith organization.

Youth workers (individuals under the age of eighteen) who assist in Apostolic Faith nurseries must be female. They are required to have been in regular attendance at our church for a minimum of one year and be at least the age required by state law for babysitters. They should be at least three years older than the children they work with, unless they are working in the same room with and under the supervision of a qualified adult staff member.

 Each youth nursery worker must be approved by the pastor and the activity supervisor on a case-by-case basis.

Youth workers must also:

• Be thoroughly familiar with the contents of this document.
• Fill out and submit a Youth Worker Application form, which includes two personal references, and includes a commitment to abide by the guidelines and policies established by the Apostolic Faith organization. This application also includes parent/guardian consent and a release of liability.

These requirements must be completed before an applicant begins assisting in the church nursery. The application must be kept on file in the church office for insurance purposes.

In addition, youth nursery workers are expected to:

• Be a positive role model.
• Fulfill the duties assigned to them by the adult staff.
• Participate in any training required for youth assistants.
• Be thoroughly familiar with the contents of this document.
• Act appropriately at all times.

• Nursery staff should be in the nursery and available to receive children fifteen minutes prior to the start of the service.
• The nursery should not be opened until two adult staff members are present.
• Parent/guardians are asked to retrieve their children within twenty minutes after the end of the service.
• Children are to be signed in and out only by a parent/guardian, unless other arrangements are made when the child is dropped off. If a sibling or other unauthorized individual comes to pick up the child, they should be turned away unless the parent/guardian authorized it when the child was signed in.
• Children are not to be taken out of the designated nursery area or immediate vicinity except in the case of a pre-scheduled activity in another part of the building, or an emergency evacuation of the premises.

Records must be kept of all children and staff who are in attendance at each nursery session. This information is to be retained in the files of the local church office.

Parents have an open invitation to visit and observe all Apostolic Faith programs and activities in which their child is involved. However, parents who desire to be present on a regular basis must follow our behavioral guidelines for those who are involved with children and youth.

• Any church-sponsored activity involving minors must be staffed with an adequate number of qualified adults. At least two adult volunteers or employees must be present at all church activities involving children and youth. This includes, but is not limited to making sure an appropriate worker-to-child ratio is maintained. Following are minimum recommendations:

• Two- and three-year-olds:  two workers per twelve children
• Four- and five-year-olds: two workers per eighteen children
• Six-year-olds and older:  two workers per twenty children

• Higher risk activities require more supervision. While a 2-20 worker-to-student ratio would be acceptable at a backyard barbecue, a weekend camping trip might require a 1-4 ratio.
• All church staff and volunteers must follow the “two adult rule.” This means that no individual child is to be alone with one adult behind closed doors or in a secluded location. All interaction between staff and minors must be observable and interruptible. One adult is allowed to supervise a group of children (similar to the public school setting).
• All church-sponsored activities for children and youth must be conducted in rooms with window-view doors. If the door does not have a viewable window, the door should be left open. Window blinds should be left open except when an educational activity necessitates a dark room (for example, when showing a video.)
• Any two children in an unseen or less-easily-viewed area must be redirected to another more open area.
• Children under school age are not to be left unattended.

All communication between church workers and minors must be appropriate, discreet, and positive.  Children should never be addressed in a manner that could be construed as harsh, unreasonable, shaming, or derogatory in any way. No swearing or abusive language is tolerated.

Staff members and volunteers are prohibited from engaging in any private, sexually-oriented conversations with children, and are not permitted to discuss any sexually-explicit information about their own personal relationships, dating, or marriages with any child or youth.

The section of the Apostolic Faith Volunteer Handbook titled “Internet Safety” provides guidelines concerning electronic communication.

All staff and volunteers who work with children in Apostolic Faith Church programs are expected to follow established procedures for dealing with behavior concerns, and to treat every child with dignity and respect.

• Staff and volunteers must be thoroughly familiar with appropriate disciplinary techniques as outlined in the Procedure Guidelines for all ministries involving children and youth.
• Disciplinary action is to be carried out only by adult staff members.
• No one may spank, hit, or use any type of physical discipline with children.
• Clear directions and guidance should be given at the child's level of understanding.
• Verbal directives should always be positive and uplifting.

Discipline should be limited to corrective steps designed to retain the child's self-worth while correcting inappropriate behavior.

When a child misbehaves, time-outs and other non-physical methods of behavior management are to be used for redirection. In employing a time-out, staff members should observe the following guidelines:

• Verbally redirect the child before physically intervening. With younger children, additional intervention may be necessary (for example removing a toy from the hands of a child who is hitting another child with it.)
• If the misbehavior continues, or if the conduct endangers the child or others, move the child away from the group to another area of the room while taking care to avoid being alone with the child.
• Provide the child with a simple, understandable reason for the time-out, along with a clear explanation of your expectations. Be verbally reassuring, as being removed from the situation may upset the child. Do not physically hold the child in time-out.
•  Provide the child with a chair, pillow, blanket, or carpet square to sit on until the time-out is complete.
•  Follow the rule of thumb that a time-out is ineffective if it lasts longer than one minute for every year of a child’s life (for example, three minutes for a three-year-old).
•  Monitor the child during the time-out without giving him/her your undivided attention. Offer intermittent praise to reassure the child.
•  Praise the child once he/she has completed the time-out and tell them the reward is being able to rejoin the group. Remind him/her that repeating the initial behavior will result in an additional time-out.

Staff members should discuss with their ministry supervisors any child who exhibits uncontrollable or unusual behavior. If chronic behavior concerns develop, the following actions may be implemented:

• Document and communicate incidents to the parent/guardian.
•  Introduce specific behavior plans or incentives for the child.
•  Restrict attendance at church-sponsored activities, either temporarily or permanently based on the specific issues.

Prohibited Actions

The following actions on the part of children in our care are not allowed, and could result in dismissal from church-sponsored activities and programs, though the pastor and ministry supervisor will work with the parent/guardian to determine the outcome that is best for the child and the program.

• Endangering the health and safety of children and/or staff.
•  Stealing or damaging church property.
•  Leaving the department or activity boundaries set by the staff without permission.
•  Continual interruption of the program.
•  Ongoing refusal to follow the behavior guidelines or instructions of the staff.
•  Continued use of profanity, vulgarity, or obscenity after being warned by the staff.
•  Physical violence.
•  Possession of tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs.
•  Possession of explosives of any kind (including firecrackers), firearms, or other weapons.
•  Acting in a lewd manner or exhibiting sexual behavior.

The Apostolic Faith organization has a physical contact policy which promotes positive, nurturing relationships with the young people in our care while offering protection as well. The following guidelines must be followed by anyone serving in church-sponsored activities for children and youth.

• Common expressions of affirmation (an arm around shoulder, light hugs, a pat on the back), support (carrying, or guiding a small child by the hand), and comfort in distress are generally suitable in the church setting. However, these must be offered with discretion, maintaining awareness that what is appropriate for a toddler or early school-aged child would be inappropriate for a pre-adolescent or older youth.
• Any touch that could be viewed as inappropriate must be strictly avoided. Contact should be restricted to non-intimate, neutral, or “safe” zones, such as the upper arm or across the shoulders. Physical interaction with children and youth should never give an appearance of wrongdoing.
• Physical contact must occur only in observable locations and in full view of others.
• Physical contact should be for the benefit of the child, and never be based upon the emotional needs of a staff member or volunteer.
• A child’s expressed preference regarding physical contact must always be respected.
• Staff members and volunteers are responsible for protecting children under their supervision from inappropriate or unwanted touch by others, including peer-on-peer.

An inspection of the church nursery area should be undertaken at regular intervals by the nursery supervisor and/or a safety team representative to ensure that the physical environment is adequately maintained.

• All cribs and playpens used in the area must meet current safety standards.
• Electrical outlets must be covered when not in use, either with a non-movable piece of furniture or with safety caps.
• Make sure that no cords dangle from clocks, fans, or other electrical appliances, as these create a potential strangulation hazard.
• Gates must be installed on stairwells that are accessible to young children in the nursery area.
• A buzzer or alert system should be considered if the nursery is located at some distance from the church sanctuary.
• A fire and emergency evacuation plan must be posted near each entrance into the nursery area.
• Exit doors are never to be locked with padlocks or deadbolts.
• The nursery area should be equipped with a phone, and emergency phone numbers posted near it.
• Nursery staff should:
• Report any hazardous conditions to the nursery supervisor and/or maintenance personnel.
• Remove any toys or equipment that is not age-appropriate for nursery students.
• Avoid stacking furniture or toys in a manner that would encourage children to climb on them.
• Inspect toys on a regular basis and dispose of any that have broken parts which could be hazardous.
• Eliminate any small toys that could present a choking hazard.
• Store cleaning supplies, insecticides, matches, and any other hazardous materials in child-resistant, locked enclosures.
• Ensure that any supplies used in the nursery area such as paints, crayons, etc. are non-toxic.
• Sanitize nursery furnishings, equipment, and toys on a regular basis.
• Make sure all trash cans in the nursery area have secure covers and are emptied regularly.
• Clean up thoroughly after the children have snacks to avoid attracting insects or vermin.