GENERAL
I. Goal
It shall be the goal of the Wellington Church to provide a safe environment for the
physical and emotional well being of all children participating in church activities, including participants in
any daily or temporary childcare programs. The church’s goal is to inform workers and enforce policies to
ensure that all children are safe and well protected while attending scheduled activities.
Future revisions to this policy may be made with the authorization of both the Pastor and the Personnel
Committee.
II. Definition of “children”
The term “child” or “children” shall include all persons under the age of eighteen (18) years.

SELECTION AND SCREENING PROCESS
III. Pre-employment procedures for paid and volunteer workers
It is the goal of the Wellington Church to adequately screen the applications of persons desiring to work
with children participating in all church programs, including participants in any daily or temporary childcare
programs.
IV. Volunteers must be under the authority of a member of the church
All volunteers who work with children must be under the authority of a Wellington Church member.
Under certain circumstances, the Pastor or the Personnel Committee may authorize an exception to this
rule for a specific planned event.
V. Classification of workers
In order to screen workers appropriately for their responsibilities, the ministerial staff person responsible for
each division will categorize workers into two categories: primary and secondary. These terms refer to the
relative levels of responsibility and risk, not to the ages of the children being served.
Primary volunteer workers: Includes all paid staff members plus those volunteers in roles with greater
responsibility or risk are classified as primary workers and should meet the primary screening standards.
Must be eighteen (18) years of age.
Secondary volunteer workers: Persons who occasionally interact with children and/or do so in less risky
circumstances. i.e.: Sunday school teachers and volunteers who see children only in a group setting, on
church premises, or who interact with children in the presence of an approved primary worker are classified
as secondary workers. This category may also include parents of participants who help supervise activities.
All volunteer workers under the age of eighteen (18) will be considered secondary workers.
VI. Minimum age
All primary volunteer workers must be 18 years of age or older. Younger persons may assist adults, but
may not take the place of adult workers. The church may employ responsible teens (13-18)
only in positions with and under the direct supervision of an approved adult worker
VII. Confidential interviews
All applicants desiring to work with children must be interviewed for suitability for the work they desire to do.
The ministry leader of the program in which the applicant will work conducts interviews. A team of
interviewers may be used. Church policy concerning prevention and response to child abuse and neglect
must be discussed during the interview.
VIII. Criminal background check
A criminal background check and child abuse registry check shall be required for all children’s worker
positions, both employee and volunteer workers. No one who has been convicted of a crime involving
misconduct with children will be allowed to work with children. Completing the Application for Volunteer
Workers Who Will Work With Children authorizes the church to conduct these checks. Background checks
will be kept confidential in a locked file with access afforded only to appropriate church staff on a need-to-
know basis.
The designated church representative will conduct criminal background checks notifying the appropriate
minister if a negative report is received.
IX. Identification badges
All church employees and volunteer workers, both primary and secondary, who work with children, are
required to wear a identification nametag whenever they are supervising children. These tags will be
provided by the church and will show the worker’s name and church logo.
X. Acknowledgement of church policies
All applicants must acknowledge in writing that they understand the church’s policies pertaining to the
protection of children and that they agree to abide by them.

SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS
It is the policy of the church to provide adequate supervisory control of persons working with children
participating in all church programs, including daily or temporary childcare programs of the church. The
following regulations shall be applicable to all primary and secondary workers having contact with children
participating in all church programs:
XI. Safety of children
It is the responsibility of all persons having contact with children participating in church programs to
promote the emotional and physical safety of the participants giving regard to all factors and circumstances
known to them. If in their opinion, an unsafe condition exists; such persons shall immediately take
appropriate precautions under the circumstances to protect all children. Nothing contained in any other
church policy, procedure or instruction shall be construed to relieve persons having contact with children
from this responsibility.
XII. Identification system
To reduce the possibility of kidnapping, the church will have in place a child check-in system so that the
adults who pick the child up has the parent/guardian tag. The ministry leader in charge should check both
tags (parents and child) to identify persons authorized to pick up and take responsibility for the child.
XIII. Two-adult rule
It shall be the goal of Wellington Church that a minimum of two workers will be in
attendance at all times when children are being supervised during a church activity regardless of the
number of participants, location or activity. At least one of these must be a primary worker.
Some Youth Sunday School classes may have only one adult in attendance as the teacher while the class
is in session. In these instances, doors to the classrooms will be either removed or will remain open.
Windows may be installed between these classrooms for full visibility. At no time should an adult ever be in
a room or an enclosed area alone with a child.
XIV. Ratio of workers to children
It is required that a reasonable ratio of adults to children is maintained at all times involving the supervision
of children. The ministerial staff member responsible for the division shall be primarily responsible for
setting and maintaining a reasonable ratio of workers to children giving due regard to all factors present,
including the number and age of the participants, the nature of the activities and the location where the
activities are taking place.
XV. Ministerial and staff oversight
The ministerial staff member responsible for each division shall coordinate with the respective ministry
coordinators to ensure ongoing supervision of all workers. This should include regular unannounced visits
into classes and other program sites.
XVI. Awareness of church policy
The minister responsible for each division shall periodically review the definition of child abuse and neglect
as defined by law and the church’s policy concerning these crimes. These reviews can be conducted either
with the workers individually or in groups, at least once a year and following each change in or addition to
such policies. Each worker shall acknowledge receipt of a written copy of the policy prior to the time they
commence working with children and after each change to such policy. Each worker shall acknowledge
participating in the periodic review of the church’s policies and procedures. The signed acknowledgements
shall be retained in the personnel file of the worker.

REPORTING AND RESPONDING TO ALLEGED CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT
XVII. Reporting policy
It is the policy of the church to report any incident of child abuse or neglect toward any child in the church.
This would include participants in temporary childcare programs.
• Do not treat any suspicion as frivolous.
• Notify your supervisor immediately. Commence the investigation right away.
• The staff member in charge should suspend the accused person from the performance of duties
involving children until the official investigation has been completed.
• Cooperate fully with law enforcement officials.
• The pastor or his agent will inform victim and victim’s family of the steps that are being taken, and
continue to keep them advised of the status of the investigation. If child abuse is confirmed, ask the
victim and the victim’s family what action they would like to take in the matter and fully cooperate to
address their requests within the bounds of a legal and prudent response. (Church legal counsel
should assist in this determination.)
• In an instance where child abuse is confirmed, the church will immediately dismiss the worker from
their position. Termination will be considered appropriate in the circumstances.
• In instances where evidence is inconclusive, the church should take action with the advise of legal
counsel in consultation with law enforcement officials depending on the strength of the evidence
available and after consideration of the victim and the victim’s family’s requests.
• The pastor, in consultation with legal counsel, will determine the amount of information he believes
is appropriate to relate to the congregation. Usually commenting in detail on an ongoing
investigation is not wise.
XVIII. Reporting obligation
By Kentucky law, anyone who has reasonable cause to believe that a child is being physically abused,
sexually abused, neglected or is dependent is required to report this information. If you suspect abuse, you
should call your local Department for Community Based Services office or the Child Abuse Hot line (800)
752-6200. Church leadership should also be informed immediately of any suspected child abuse.
XIX. Reports required
Any worker of the church who has cause to believe that a child’s physical or emotional health or welfare
has been or may be adversely affected by abuse or neglect shall report that belief according to the
following procedure:
a. The worker shall report such belief to the pastor, a member of the church staff and/or church leadership.
b. The pastor or staff member will immediately report to one of the following: the local Department for
Community Based Services (Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services), the Child Abuse Hotline
(800-752-6200) or any local law enforcement agency.
c. The pastor or his agent will notify the parents of the child (unless the parent is the person responsible for
the abuse or neglect).
d. The pastor, or his agent, in consultation with the chairperson of the Personnel Committee and/or the
chairman of the Deacons will notify the appropriate legal counsel.
e. The pastor, or his agent, will notify the church’s insurance agent that an abuse report has been filed with
the appropriate local or state agency.
XX. Incident report
The person making a report should identify:
a. The name and address of the child.
b. The name and address of the person responsible for the care, custody, or welfare of the child.
c. Any other pertinent information concerning the alleged or suspected abuse or neglect.
XXI. Confidentiality
All reports of child abuse or neglect shall be held in absolute confidence. No person shall communicate any
information concerning the alleged event to any person except as necessary to cooperate with any official
investigation. Any breach of this confidentiality by an employee of the church shall be cause for immediate
dismissal. The pastor, in consultation with the official conducting the investigation may authorize limited
additional disclosure if necessary to protect other children from harm in the near future, particularly where
the person responsible for the abuse cannot be identified, but in no case shall the identity of the victim or
the accused person be disclosed except as required by law.
XXII. Investigation of alleged abuse or neglect
No person shall attempt to conduct a detailed investigation either through examination or interrogation of
the child, the accused person or a witness. It is acceptable to obtain a reasonable amount of information to
have cause to believe a child has been abused or neglected. Interviews shall be conducted only by
authorized officials of the agency to whom the suspected crime has been reported or, when appropriate, by
legal counsel or persons representing the church in an official capacity. All employees and volunteers of the
church shall cooperate with the official investigation as requested.
XXIII. Suspension of church related duties
A person accused of child abuse or neglect will be suspended from all church related duties involving
children. This would include all childcare, teaching, transportation or sponsorship duties. The Personnel
Committee is not authorized to conduct an investigation of the incident but is allowed to monitor any such
investigation and receive confidential information concerning the incident as may be necessary to
7determine issues concerning continuation of employment and compensation. The person accused should
be suspended on ‘paid leave’ until the investigation is completed. This removal from duty should occur in
such a way that an innocent person is not immediately deemed guilty. There are false claims made each
year. If the allegation is determined to be unsubstantiated, the employee can be returned to their prior
position.
XXIV. Preservation of records
Copies of all documents relating to an event of abuse or neglect, including a list of all persons known to be
present or in the vicinity shall be transferred to the pastor or his agent. They will review them to determine if
the documents are complete in accordance with church policy. If any documents are missing, they shall
make a written notation and transfer the documents to the church business administrator who shall retain
them until advised that all criminal and civil investigations and actions have been completed.
XXV. Ministerial care
The ministerial staff shall encourage and assist the child and the parents in securing appropriate
counseling, care and support. In the event the abuse or neglect involves a member or employee of the
church, the staff shall encourage and assist the individual in securing appropriate pastoral care and
support, including third party counseling, being mindful of the potential for a conflict of interest. All persons
shall act towards the child, the parents and the accused in accordance with the principles of Christianity at
all times.
XXVI. Liaison with the community
The pastor, or his appointed agent, will serve as the church’s sole access to the media. The church should
emphasize to the public its position on child abuse, its concern for the victim and the extensive steps being
taken to address the safety of all children.