When the disciples tried to keep the children away from Jesus, he was quick to respond, "Let the children come to me." Jesus taught that children were to be included and provided for within the community of faith. Today, the church may be the only place where some children find the unconditional love and care they so desperately need to grow and thrive. As Christians, we must take our responsibilities to our children very seriously. We fail in our responsibilities if we neglect to take adequate precautions against abuse in our churches. It is unlikely that we can completely prevent child abuse in every situation, but it is possible for us to greatly reduce the risk by following a thorough, practical policy of prevention. This policy is designed to set procedures for the safety of the children and youth of Lakewood United Methodist Church. This is based on our understanding of the widespread problem of abuse throughout our country.

REQUIREMENTS FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS

• All paid staff and volunteers will be interviewed and written permission will be received for a background check prior to that person assuming the position.
• Volunteers working with children (birth to 18 years) must attend LUMC for 6 months before they are eligible to begin a direct contact care provider position. However, such individuals may begin the application, training and background check process at any time during that 6-month period.
• Whenever reasonable, the "Two Person Rule" will require that no fewer than two adults or leaders be present at all times during any church-sponsored program, event or ministry involving children or youth. One person may work with multiple children or youth as long as they are within line of sight of other adults. However, at no time will an adult be one on one with a child in an isolated or closed situation. In emergency situations, childcare will be relocated to a room near the meeting area and the doors will be left open.
• The church nursery will require all parents to sign their child in for events, according the church nursery policy.
• Married couples and blood-related family members are not to serve alone together at any given program, project, class or event, except at the discetion of the Pastor or designated event leader.
• No one shall serve the congregation who, in the belief of the leader, sponsoring agency or the event director may represent a potential threat of committing abuse or violating this policy.
• No one shall serve if she/he is known to have been previously convicted of, pled guilty or no contest, to any crime arising out of any act or conduct involving sexual abuse, or any act or guilty conduct which is of a sexual, molesting, seductive, or criminally deviant nature, whether or not such conduct involved a child. This includes, but is not limited to, crimes involving pedophilic behavior (molestation of a pre-adolescent child), incest, rape, assaults involving adults with special needs, murder, kidnapping, pornography, and the physical abuse of an adult with special needs.
• No one shall serve as a paid or volunteer care provider who has had a verdict or judgment rendered against him or her in any civil action arising out of any personal act or conducts related to sexual abuse of an adult with special needs or child. This qualifying rule shall apply no matter how long ago the civil verdict occurred and judgment was rendered.
• Outside groups will be asked to sign a statement acknowledging the compliance with LUMC’s Safe Sanctuary policy.

SCREENING PROCESS

Responsibility:

• The Senior Pastor and/or a representative from the SPRC will be responsible for screening all paid staff employees.
• The Coordinator of Children's Ministries will be responsible for screening all Sunday School and Children’s Programs volunteers.
• The Coordinator of Nursery Ministries is responsible for screening nursery staff and volunteers.
• The Director of Student Ministries will be responsible for all volunteers within the Youth programming area.
• The Director of the Child Development Program (CDP) will be responsible for all volunteers in the CDP area.
• The Director of Music Ministries will be responsible for all volunteers in the Music Ministries area.
• Outside groups will not be screened by LUMC and are responsible for ensuring compliance with our Safe Sanctuary policy while using our facility.

Procedure:

1. The persons noted above will be responsible for receiving, reviewing, confirming and processing employment or volunteer applications.
2. References will be requested on all employees and volunteers and the screeners, noted above, will follow up on specific references listed, which will include at least two Institutuional references and two personal, non-related references.
3. A national check for arrest and convictions records will be made for all employees and volunteers, performed by the persons noted above. All LUMC background checks will be handled through the Texas Annual Conference.
4. The interview questions may vary depending on the interviewee and the recipient’s responsibilities within the Church. The results of the interview, especially when sensitive areas have been discussed, should be kept confidential and only discussed with those persons needing this information in order to make a decision as to whether the applicant should be accepted as a volunteer.
5. The volunteer or worker application and consent to perform background check will be signed by the recipient and maintained in secure files.
6. The maintenance of such documents shall reside in a locked file or cabinet in the office of the church office.

TRAINING

• Initial training will be coordinated/performed by the ministry director(s) and/or Senior Pastor (or responsible person in charge), then performed on a periodic basis or when a new staff member is hired or volunteer is invited to be in service. This will include a review of the policies and procedures. The consent form for background checks will be signed at that time. Reviews of the policy are also recommended as needed prior to the start of each event, and subsequent background checks may be made as appropriate to ensure the continued safety of our children and youth.
• Outside Groups, as described previously, will not receive any training from LUMC.

RESPONDING TO ALLEGATIONS/MISCONDUCT

Reporting:

It is the right of every Lakewood UMC member, guest, employee, and volunteer to have an environment at LUMC, free from sexual harassment and to stop unwelcome sexual conduct at the earliest opportunity.

Children/Minors - In cases involving alleged sexual harassment or sexual misconduct of a minor child (birth to 18 years), the person receiving the report shall promptly report the incident to the local authorities of child welfare and protective services. The person receiving the report shall also notify the Staff Parish Relations Committee chairperson and the Senior Pastor of LUMC (if the situation does not involve the chairperson or the Senior Pastor). The SPRC shall have no investigative or disciplinary role since authority in cases involving minor children is governed by local, state and federal laws; however, the SPRC shall continue to be consulted and involved regarding the effect any actions may have on the life of the LUMC community of faith or in the life of the family involved.

• The response team will conduct investigations involving employees, members, or volunteers. In addition to following the general guidelines of this policy, the response team is expected to develop specific recommendations for action that are appropriate for each case.
• Investigations will include interviews with all relevant individuals, including the complainant, the accused, and all known witnesses, as well as a review of all relevant information/documentation necessary to complete the investigation.
• The confidences and sensitivities of all persons involved in the incident will be respected to the extent reasonably possible in the context of a complete investigation. The response team shall be sensitive to the needs of the accused and the accuser and shall consider appropriate support, including making counseling available during the investigation.
• The response team may retain independent legal counsel to assist in its investigation and resolution of the matter. Where appropriate, individuals against whom complaints have been raised may be suspended from their duties with or without pay while an investigation is conducted.

Action:

• Upon reaching a conclusion as to the appropriate course of action, the response team will meet with the accused and other appropriate persons to communicate the results of the investigation and the proposed resolution.
• The response team may recommend any reasonable course of action to address substantiated allegations, including counseling, education, termination of an employee or volunteer, or requesting a member to withdraw their membership.
• Where validity of the complaint cannot be determined, other options will be made available to both parties. One option may include additional education and awareness of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct and the policy regarding these matters at LUMC.
• If the investigation reasonably establishes that the alleged conduct did not occur, the complainant shall be informed that false sexual harassment claims or sexual misconduct claims will not be tolerated under this policy. Appropriate action may be recommended to assure the wrongly accused person that the false charge will not affect his/her employment by or volunteer involvement at LUMC.
• If the response team in unable to resolve the situation through other means, then a "formal investigation" and the full judicial process may be used as a last resort. All formal investigations will follow the guidelines from the latest publication of the Book of Discipline.

Non-retaliation:

• This policy prohibits retaliation against anyone who, in good faith, reports allegations of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct or assists in investigating charges.
• Anyone found to have participated in retaliatory actions will be confronted by the SPRC and appropriate action will be taken, which may include termination as a volunteer or employee of LUMC.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Revisions:

1. The SPRC and/or Board of Trustees will review this policy annually.
2. Proposed revisions shall be submitted in writing to the Trustees, who shall have the power to adopt such revisions as needed.

Implementation:

This policy shall be effective January 1, 2004 for all Church-related activities, events and functions. All initial training is to be completed by December 31, 2005, with ongoing training as needed for new volunteers and employees.

Definitions:

For this policy, the following definitions will apply:

• Abuse means harm or threatened harm to the health and welfare of an adult with special needs, a child, or youth by any person responsible for the health and welfare of an adult with special needs, a child or youth, that occurs through non-accidental physical or mental injury; sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or mistreatment, sexual harassment, sexual contact, sexual molestation; disseminating, exhibiting, or displaying sexually explicit material.
• Adult means any person at least 18 years of age.
• Appropriate means conduct that one would reasonably assume would be acceptable and permissible by a child’s parent or guardian.
• Child, Children or Youth refer to a person less than 18 years of age.
• Leader means anyone directly responsible for supervising and overseeing the specific Church-related function, event or activity.
• Parent or guardian means any parent, stepparent, foster parent, grandparent or appointed guardian with the general responsibility for the health, education, or welfare of a child or adult with special needs.
• Response Team means all persons, individually or collectively, who are appointed by the SPRC chairperson to serve for the purpose of investigating and responding to allegations or misconduct.
• Sexual abuse means engaging in any sexual contact, sexual penetrations, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, of an adult with special needs, child or youth; or the dissemination, exhibiting, or displaying of sexually explicit material to an adult with special needs or child or youth, regardless of whether such conduct is with or without the knowledge or consent of the adult with special needs, or child or youth. This abuse may be violent or nonviolent. It includes any conduct that involves adults with special needs or children in sexual behavior for which they are not personally, socially, emotionally or developmentally ready.
• Sexual contact means the intentional touching of the intimate parts of the clothing covering the immediate area of the intimate parts of a youth, child or adult with special needs.
• Sexual exploitation means allowing, permitting or encouraging an adult with special needs or child or youth to engage in prostitution or in the photographing, filming, creating electronic or computer generated images or other forms of depicting a child, youth or adult with special needs engaged in actual or suggestive sexual conduct.
• Sexual harassment means any unwanted sexual advances or demand, either verbal or physical, which is perceived by the recipient as demeaning, intimidating or coercive.

Building Requirements:

All offices and classroom doors will have an uncovered window. Any counseling that occurs behind a closed door should allow for the viewing of the counselor through the office door window.