In today’s world it is absolutely necessary to establish boundaries for how we interact with children. Again, our number one goal is the safety and security of the children we teach. We are also responsible to protect our volunteers from false accusations or inappropriate appearances. Let’s take a look at two very important areas of safety:
Physical Touch Guidelines
Appropriate Touch includes:
Gently touching a child’s shoulders, hands, arms, head and back to comfort
Using a gentle touch to redirect a child
Encouraging a child with high-fives, knuckle bumps, or pats on the back
Sitting a crying preschooler on your lap to comfort them
Inappropriate Touch includes:
Sitting older children on your lap
Extended hugging or kissing
Touching areas that would be covered by a swimsuit
Any touching to express dominance over the child
Restroom Procedures and Guidelines
It is always best to encourage parents to take their children to the restroom prior to bringing them to class.
If a child needs to use the restroom during class:
Two unrelated adults could escort the entire group for a restroom break
Assign a restroom monitor for all classes who remains outside the restroom door
If pre-school children request assistance the adult may assist without closing the stall
Ask parents of special needs children to define their child’s needs
Diapering should include the use of disposable gloves. You may want to call a parent to change a child’s diaper
Call parents to assist if a child has an accident
Every church should have clearly defined procedures in place to protect both the children and the volunteers. These procedures must be clearly communicated to anyone working with children. Please stress the importance of protecting the children to everyone involved. What additional comments or procedures would you add to this list?
