Kidsafe Policy

Learning Station Co-op follows the guidelines

of Lancaster Evangelical Free Church’s

Child Abuse Prevention Program 

in accordance with PA Title 23 (specifically section 6344 through 6344.4)

Why Kidsafe?

1. Laws now state that volunteers (anyone who has a role in which they have direct contact with children) are now considered mandated reporters.
2. There are penalties for willful failure to report suspected child abuse.
3. Statistically 1-4 girls and 1-6 boys will be victims of abuse. In 2013 in PA, there were approximately 27,000 suspected child abuse reports and approximately 3,500 of those resulted in substantiated reports. 
4. Abuse happens in all types of families. The effects of abuse/trauma often have significant physiological, psychological and sociological effects.
5. What does the Bible say about responding to children, people and families in need?

• A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13;34-35
• Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9

• Protect the children entrusted to our care from people who may seek to harm them.
• Protect our volunteers and the church against unwarranted, false accusations and litigation.
• Prevent child abuse by educating members of our church who minister to children.
• Ensure proper reporting of suspected child abuse.

Qualifications

• LEFC will prohibit anyone who may pose a threat to minors from working with children or youth.
• At a minimum, no history of arrests or convictions for any sex related crimes, crimes of violence, crimes involving child abuse or endangerment

• All volunteers must complete a KidSafe Volunteer Application and comply with the established standards.  
• Learning Stations Upper Level Track members who will only be serving as monitor should read, understand and follow the Kidsafe policy, but monitors need not submit clearances for their role.   All co-op track members, however, must submit both Pennsylvania clearances listed below: 
  • Child Abuse Clearances  (every 5 years)
  • Criminal Clearances (every 5 years)

• Screaming or using harsh words is unacceptable.
• Never strike a child or use inappropriate physical force to compel a child to behave.
• All children should be handled in an age appropriate manner.
• If a child’s behavior is totally out of control, ask someone to find his/her parents.
• Remain with children 2nd grade and younger until their parents arrive. Do not send children out to look for their parents.
• Do not take children out to meet their parents. Send someone to look for parents, but be sure that 2 adults remain with the child in the room while waiting.
• Discuss and agree with other class leaders/assistance how misbehavior will be handled. Remember, it is easier to address concerns early in the process rather than later.
•  Have a 3-step approach to addressing classroom discipline:

Step 1:  Address the negative behavior with the child during the class.

Step 2:  Speak with the student after class.

Step 3:  Talk with the student’s parents and the Learning Station coordinator or Upper level cordinator.

• Be aware of your own tolerance threshold, and, if necessary, step away and allow a co-worker to address the situation.

• Parental instructions for feeding and care should be followed.
• If a baby is sick, injured or is crying for more than 15 minutes, parents should be notified immediately. The only exception is if a parent asks you to wait more or less than that.
• Diaper Changes:

• Diapers should be checked each hour and changed as needed.
• Follow diaper changing procedures posted in nurseries. (Wearing gloves, proper disposal of soiled diapers, and cleaning the changing area after each change.)
• Only females 16+ are permitted to change a diaper. No males may ever change a diaper.
• Have another nursery worker present or leave the door to the room open.

Preschoolers & Other Children Needing Assistance

• Best option - Have a female (16+) assist in the bathroom.
• Make sure the child has some privacy, but leave the door slightly ajar for the protection of the child.
• Avoid entering the room with the child unless necessary.

Children 5 Years through 3^rd Grade:

• For children who do not need assistance, at least one adult female should take girls to the bathroom, and one adult male should take boys to the bathroom.
• The adult should wait outside the restroom until the children come out, and check on them if it seems necessary.

Good touches are an important means of demonstrating our love and concern for the children in our ministries.  However, the following limits must be followed:

• Touching or tickling children under their clothing is prohibited!
• Never touch a child’s private areas except when necessary (diaper changes).
• No rough-housing or horseplay.
•  Youth leaders should focus on ministering to students of the same sex.
•  No youth leader is permitted to date a student in the youth ministry.

Illness or Injuries

• Persons who are ill (with a fever, or having a communicable disease which can be transmitted by cough or touch) will not be permitted to participate in any ministry activity.
• If a child is determined to be ill or becomes injured, the child should be returned to the parent or guardian ASAP.
• A suitable, KidSafe-certified substitute must be invited to take the place of workers who become ill or injured.
• Precautionary steps should be taken to avoid contact with bodily fluids whether that is worker to child or child to child.

•  Teachers should not arrange to meet with individual students outside of Learning Station without parental permission and knowledge..
•  No kids’ ministry worker should ever make contact with a child (6^th grade and younger) alone.
• Group e-mail is acceptable, but correspondence  to an individual child is not permitted except that which is directly related to the class.  It is preferrable to use Engrade for messaging students.   

• At least two adults are required to chaperone field trips, and written parental permission is required.
• No one with a history of DUI CONVICTIONS OR DUI RELATED DRIVING SUSPENSIONS should ever transport minors by vehicle for any church related function for three years after the incident.

Child Abuse Awareness and Reporting

Reporting suspected cases of child abuse is an important part of our prevention program. Anyone who sees a child being abused or suspects that a child has been abused should report it immediately. In Pennsylvania,

• If you witness someone abusing a child.
• If a child tells you that he/she has been abused.
• If you observe evidence of abuse.

1. Bodily Injury (Physical) - causing bodily injury to a child through any recent act or failure to act.

• Substantial pain
• injury where their ability to function is reduced either temporarily or permanently
• likelihood of bodily injury
• fabricating, feigning or intentionally exaggerating or inducing medical symptoms or disease

Physical Indicators

• Unexplained injuries
• Unbelievable or inconsistent explanations of injuries
  • Multiple bruises in various stages of healing
• Bruises located on faces, ears, necks, buttocks, backs, chests, thighs, back of legs, and genitalia 
• Bruises that resemble objects such as hand, fist, belt buckle, or rope
• Injuries that are inconsistent with a child’s age/developmental level
• Burns

Behavioral Indicators

• Fear of going home
• Extreme apprehensiveness/vigilance
• Pronounced aggression or passivity
• Flinches easily or avoids being touched
• Play includes abusive behavior or talk
• Unable to recall how injuries occurred or account of injuries in inconsistent with the nature of the injuries
• Fear of parent or caregiver

2. Serious Mental Injury-causing or substantially contributing to serious mental injury to a child through any act or failure to act or a series of such acts or failures to act.

• involves a diagnosis by a doctor or licensed psychologist
• seriously interferes with a child’s ability to accomplish age appropriate developmental and social tasks

Physical indicators:

• Frequent psychosomatic complaints (nausea, stomachache, headache, etc.)
• Bed-wetting
• Self-harm
• Speech disorders

Behavioral indicators:

• Expressing feelings of inadequacy
  • Fearful of trying new things
  • Overly compliant
  • Poor peer relationships
  • Excessive dependence on adults
  • Habit disorders (sucking, rocking, etc.)
  • Eating disorders

3. Sexual abuse - causing sexual abuse or exploitation of a child through any act or failure to act. 

• causing a child to engage in or to assist another individual to engage in sexually explicit conduct or conversation.
• taking sexualized pictures or video

Physical Indicators

• Sleep disturbances
• Bedwetting
• Pain or irritation in genital/anal area
• Difficulty walking or sitting
• Difficulty urinating
• Pregnancy
• Positive testing for STDs or HIV
• Excessive or injurious masturbation

Behavioral indicators

• Sexually promiscuous
• Developmental age-inappropriate sexual play and/or drawings
• Cruelty to others
• Cruelty to animals
• Fire setting
• Anxious
• Withdrawn

4. Serious Physical Neglect- causing serious physical neglect of a child.

• Endangering a child’s well-being,
• threatening a child’s well being
• causing bodily injury or impairing a child’s health development or functioning due to: repeated, prolonged or egregious failure to supervise a child, considering a child’s age and development
• failing to provide a child with adequate essential food, clothing, shelter or medical care

Physical Indicators

• Lack of adequate medical and dental care
• Often hungry
• Lack of shelter
• Child’s weight is significantly lower than what is normal for his/her age and gender
• Developmental delays
• Persistent (untreated) conditions (e.g. head lice, diaper rash)
• Exposure to hazards (e.g. illegal drugs, rodent/insect infestation, mold)
• Clothing that is dirty, inappropriate for the weather, too small or too large

Behavioral indicators

• Not registered in school
• Inadequate or inappropriate supervision
• Poor impulse control
• Frequently fatigued
• Parentified behaviors
• Delinquent behaviors
• Mistrusting

PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING CHILD ABUSE OR INJURY:

• Call CHILDLINE, if you have “reasonable suspicion” that a child has been abused. Reasonable suspicion is based on more than a hunch.  It’s a determination based on circumstances, observations, familiarity and feelings about the incident.
• If a teen and/or helper who is under the age of 18 has “reasonable suspicion” of abuse, they are expected to tell an adult helper who then would be responsible to make a report.
• Report/Call immediately: 1 (800) 932-0313.
• CHILDLINE will complete the report and determine who responds to the report.  The response to a report may involve the county Children and Youth agency where the child lives and/or the local police.
• Children and Youth agencies will determine if an alleged report will receive services from CPS (Child Protective Services) or GPS (General Protective Services).
• After calling CHILDLINE, the adult should explain the report made to the appropriate ministry staff member. Every effort will be made to assist the family following the guidelines of Matthew 18:15-20.

• All cases should be handled in a quiet and confidential manner. A reporter is protected from liability if a report is made in “good faith”. The reporter remains confidential.
• The reporter has the right to receive information about the final status of the report.
• If proven that someone willfully failed to report, they could face legal penalties.

How can we respond beyond making a phone call to report “reasonable suspicion” of abuse?

Scripture:           

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled but rather healed. Hebrews 12:12

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.  James 5:19

If a report is made and it results in Children and Youth involvement, there are a number of ways in which we can support the family as a whole in an effort to assist Children and Youth with restoring the family. Talk with your appropriate ministry staff about what you can do to help.

If you are looking for more specific information about this topic and PA’s new CPSL changes, you can refer to the following website:

• www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov
• If you would like to receive more specific training the following is a free training website: www.reportabusepa.pitt.edu