Five Ways to Improve Children’s Safety at Your Ministry

Protect My Ministry
Guest Contributor

Listen to this article:

Are the children in your ministry safe?

Unfortunately, the reality is countless threats exist that could potentially endanger the children in your care.

While there’s no way to guarantee safety 100%, there are procedures, plans, and strategies you can put in place to help protect children in your care.

Here are five ways you can reduce risk and provide a safe space for your youngest members: 

1. Conduct Thorough Background Checks

If your ministry isn’t already conducting background checks for all staff members and volunteers, it’s a great place to start. This is often the first step in preventing predators and violent offenders from working with your children.

Background checks:

• • Help scare off predators before they even enter your doors
  • Offer peace of mind to parents
  • Have evolved to be even more thorough and effective
  • Are surprisingly affordable
  • Protect organizations against negligent hiring
  • However, not all background checks are created equal

2. Create and Implement a Communications Strategy

When it comes to safety, it’s critical to not only have a plan but make sure it is communicated both internally and externally.

Internally

Start by creating a safety plan with key members of your staff. This should include details like what to do and who should respond in case of a safety incident.

Having an internal communications strategy also helps make sure everyone understands and prioritizes safety concerns and keeps in contact so the right people can respond quickly if and when needed.

This includes creating documents and forms detailing your internal safety communications strategy. Share these forms with all staff members and volunteers so they are readily accessible when needed.

Externally

It’s important your members and guests feel protected and confident in your safety procedures each time they walk through the doors of your organization. Consider including safety information in your regular communications — such as emails, bulletins, and guest welcome centers.

This will help people not only know what’s expected but also feel like they know what’s going on. 

3. Establish Clear Policies

Next, establish clear policies as soon as possible, before they’re needed.

These could include:

• • Age requirements for working with children
  • Background checks
  • The ratio of teachers to students
  • Check-in and check-out procedures
  • The presence of security guards
  • Door locks and access to key fobs
  • Details and restrictions for travel
  • Emergency protocols

While this list isn’t exhaustive, it should give you an idea of policies to discuss and establish. These policies will help protect children and your organization’s leaders.

4. Have a Child Check-In/Check-Out System in Place

No matter the size of your organization, it’s no secret children’s check-in and check-out times tend to get chaotic. That is why it’s crucial to have an easy-to-use, streamlined system in place.

An effective check-in and check-out system helps verify that every child is where they’re supposed to be, that volunteers know who they’re responsible for, and that the right child goes home with the right person.

Plus, it makes attendance record-keeping a breeze!

5. Offer Ongoing Safety Training

Lastly, offering ongoing safety training to all staff members and volunteers is important.

These trainings should not only cover your ministry’s policies, procedures, and communication strategies but should also equip adults to handle potentially dangerous situations.

For example, can your volunteers answer these questions?

• • When (if ever) should you accompany a child to the restroom?
  • What are the signs of sexual grooming?
  • Is it appropriate to hug a child? Touch their shoulder? Carry them?
  • What should you do if you hear someone discussing an inappropriate topic with a child?
  • Where do you take children in case of a fire? Tornado? An active shooter?

These are just a few of the topics/questions your safety training sessions should answer.

Next Steps

Improving children’s safety at your organization is just one of the ways you can protect the most vulnerable of those in your care. 

Solutions exist to help you fill in the safety gaps. Explore how Protect My Ministry background checks and training resources can help by contacting us today. 

This information should not be considered legal advice. Readers and/or companies need to consult their legal counsel about their compliance responsibilities under the FCRA and applicable state and local laws. 

FROM THE TRUE CHARITY TEAM: We appreciate the perspective of our knowledgeable guest contributors. However, their opinions are their own, and do not necessarily represent positions of True Charity in all respects.