Sex offender policy...

In many cases these policies are based on the requirements of insurance companies, which are created by lawyers.

 

We have a rigorous childcare policy. We talk about our childcare policy (when appropriate) often. We post our childcare policy for all to see. We renlentlessly obey our childcare policy for all to see.

We also review it every 24 months with legal counsel and a group of lay leaders to make sure it is meeting the known standards and no wiggle room has been created in it by oversight.

We love children and their families. It is our duty to mind the flock we have...wolves abound.

Basically it is this:
1. We screen through a criminal background check on every volunteer working with children in any capacity and all staff members.
2. We have a zero tolerance policy for any misconduct. (In light of Penn State we recently put up "see something, say something" in all our rooms.)
3. We have security cameras in all hallways and classrooms of our children's area that are monitored by our security team.
4. Any child/ren must have two adults (not related) present in their room at all times. No one adult can supervise a child or children.
5. Any storage or workroom areas are off limits to children.
6. No one with a history of sexual misconduct on their record is allowed to serve in children or student ministries.
7. Our staff has the right to walk into any room at any time and ask any question related to security and safety.
8. No doors have locks on them.
9. Only women are allowed to change diapers.
10. Check-in and pick-up are done by parents, or a legal guardian, carrying the proper ID stickers and no one else.
11. See through mirrors are in every room.
12. Our childrens area is segregated by age so we don't have too many kids to not monitor.
13. There are about twenty other things we do but I can't remember them all. This is a good top level sampling.

It is vital that we provide the best environment for our families to secure our facilities from predators that will come into our churches to harm our kids. We love our families and have an obligation to protect them.

Great question.