PROTECTING Kids is a PRIORITY
Church Nursery Security Makes the Best Possible First Impression On Parents

by Laura J. Brown

When Stacey arrived at the nursery door, she was greeted by a woman who asked her child’s name, welcomed her son warmly, and gave him a colorful nametag to wear during the church service.

She asked Stacey to fill out a short form that asked, among other things, if her child had any food allergies or medical conditions the staff should know about. Then, she gave Stacey a pager and said that her son would only be released to the person holding it.

It was Stacey’s first visit to Southside Christian Church, but she had no hesitation about leaving her child in the nursery. It was evident that the church put a priority on security and had procedures in place to ensure it.

A visitor can tell how your nursery is run in just a few minutes. A nursery that selects qualified workers, follows security practices, and requires ongoing training stands in sharp contrast to one that doesn’t.

By establishing good policies, you don’t have to tell parents how important their children are. You show them.

Choose Workers Wisely

Your nursery program is only as good as its workers. Because volunteers can be scarce, it’s tempting to allow anyone who professes a love of children to serve in the church nursery. However, doing so opens the door to people who might neglect, or even abuse, the children in their care.

That’s why you should carefully screen all nursery staff and volunteers. Here are five steps you can take:

1. Require applicants to attend your church for at least six months.
2. Review written applications.
3. Check references.
4. Conduct personal interviews.
5. Perform criminal background checks on people who’ll have frequent, close contact with children.

Provide Superior Supervision

As a church, you care not only about the safety of the children, but also about the reputations of your volunteer leaders, teachers and workers. By following careful supervision procedures, you not only make it more difficult for abuse to occur, you make it easier to refute false allegations. Here are some recommendations for supervision:

Follow the two-adult rule. At least two adults should staff the nursery, no matter how few children are in it. This prevents the isolation that can lead to misconduct allegations or situations.

Limit teenage volunteers. Young people can be a great help in the nursery, but they shouldn’t be in charge of it. Allow teenagers to work alongside at least two properly screened adults.

Enlist hall monitors. Someone should check each nursery room to make sure it’s properly staffed and running smoothly. This person could also monitor hallways and exits, help newcomers find their way around, and help supervise restroom breaks.

Require open doors. People should be able to see into the nursery at all times. This prevents the isolation that could lead to misconduct. Options include leaving the door open (with a gate or half-door across the bottom to prevent escapes), installing a window, or monitoring the nursery area with video cameras.

Have enough help. To pay enough attention to each child’s needs, be sure to provide enough supervision. Most states require that state-licensed day care, preschool and elementary schools meet a certain adult-to-child ratio. Your attorney can advise you about the requirements in your state.

As a rule of thumb, experts recommend the following child/teacher ratios:

• Infants (0–6 months): Two babies to one adult
• Crawlers (6–12 months): Three crawlers to one adult
• Toddlers (12–18 months): Four toddlers to one adult
• Walkers (18–24 months): Five or six walkers to one adult
• Runners (3-4 years): Six to nine children to one adult
• Preschoolers (4-5 years): Eight to 10 children to one adult
• Kindergarteners (5-6 years): 10 to 12 children to one adult

Maintaining good ratios benefits the children, but it also helps volunteers from feeling stressed and overwhelmed. This helps you retain qualified volunteers, simplifying your nursery coordinator’s job.

Follow Safe Procedures

Next, take a look at the procedures your childcare workers follow. Having written methods in place allows your church to provide consistent care, even with a rotating staff of volunteers. It allows you to build in safety measures and lets parents know how their children will be treated in their absence. It also can protect you if allegations of mistreatment arise.

One of the most important is to use a system to ensure that each child leaves the nursery with the right person. Without one, it’s simple for a non-custodial parent or other unauthorized person to abduct a child simply by showing up at a nursery door. Some options include sign-in/sign-out forms, two-part nametags, pagers, or computerized bar code scanners like those found in grocery stores.

Make it Pay Off

Great nurseries don’t just happen — they’re developed. It takes time, but the investment pays off in the long run. Remember, you’ll never find a parent who says, “My church does too much for my children.”

Don’t wait for an accident to happen before you realize your nursery isn’t as safe as you can make it. Do it now, and let the little children come.

Laura J. Brown is a writer and communications specialist with Brotherhood Mutual Insurance, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. For free, quality resources, visit www.brotherhoodmutual.com.