Our insurance carrier asked to see a copy of our Policies and Procedures in the Prevention of Child Abuse. They are requiring that we make important and significant additions to our existing policies and procedures. To the point, they will not provide coverage if we do not make these changes in our training and policies. We think that is a very good thing. It is, however, a much more involved process of training all volunteers. It is even more involved for those of us in leadership positions that recruit and train volunteers.
Under the new guidelines from our insurance company, in addition to background checks for anyone working with preschool, children, youth or vulnerable adults they will also receive a copy of our Child Abuse Prevention Policy and will need to sign a form stating they will abide by the policy.
All volunteers and teachers in the Day School will be required to complete an on-line training video course (approximately 1 hour long) and take a short quiz. All Staff and volunteers who are part of the enlistment process will be required to complete a more detailed on-line training video course (approximately 2 hours long) and take a short quiz.
This will not be new to anyone volunteering in the public school system or to anyone who goes to camp as a counselor. Logan’s volunteers have been doing this for a few years now.
This article is just to give our church a “heads up” that this is indeed coming. It is a good thing and we fully support this requirement. I am grateful for the insurance company giving us the info we needed to do our best!
See you Sunday, good Lord willing,
Pastor Tom
