Caring for Our Children

"Let the children come to me."  Matthew 19:14

We offer a safe and secure environment for your child where they can learn about God's love.

We have many gifted volunteers that will engage your child with stories, crafts and activities that will help them understand the Bible and who Christ is.

We encourage each child to be who God created them to be, and to use their gifts.

Each child is a gift from God, and will be treated as such.

We encourage all parents to volunteer in their child's class; the Children's Ministry relies and runs with volunteers.

Children's Ministry Goals: Unconditional Love

• By welcoming every student into your classroom.  (No favoritism!)
• By knowing every child's name
• By being a good listener.
• By being a good example

Nursery

Birth to three years old (or until potty-trained)

Located in the north wing of the building.  Nursery is available during both Sunday services.

Sunday School

3-4 year olds - down the west hall

5-6 year olds - down the west hall

1st - 3rd graders - in the north wing

4th - 6th graders - in the north wing

Key Points

- Every volunteer must pass a background check

- Safety badge system in place for children in Nursery through 3rd Grade

- Fun environment

- Loving teachers

- Arts and Crafts

Connecting with Parents

• By making an effort to meet our students' parents on Sundays.
• By openly communicating with parents about what is being taught in the classroom and, at times, home lessons.

Training Teachers

• By continually recruiting volunteers.
• By intentionally training teachers, (one day or weekend seminars), instead of just throwing them into the classroom.
• By every teacher agreeing to and signing a teacher's duties and responsibilities contract and being held accountable to it until the end of their teaching term.

Children's Ministry Policies

At Wasatch Evangelical Free Church we want to create a safe and secure environment where the children can learn and grow in Christ's love. It is important that as a church we do everything to provide a safe and secure environment. We have created the following policies which are to be followed by anyone working with children at Wasatch Evangelical Free Church.

1) All adults working with children will fill out a criminal background check. Anyone with a criminal conviction relating to a violent or sexual act will not be allowed to work with children.
2) Physical contact with children should be age and individually appropriate. Inappropriate contact includes:
• Kissing a child or coaxing a child to kiss you
• Extended hugging or tickling, or prolonged physical contact of any kind
• Touching a child in any area that would be covered by a bathing suit (exceptions: diaper changing and properly assisting a child in the restroom)

3) Workers should not help a child use the restroom if the child is over 3 years of age
4) A security tagging system is used for all children in the infant room - 3rd grade. Upon a child's arrival, the parent is responsible for clipping a number tag on the child and taking the corresponding number tag with them. The parent must return the tag for release of the child. The teacher makes sure the child and parent tags are matched upon dismissal. Parents should accompany their child to the classroom. Children may be released from their classroom only to a parent or family member over the age of 12.
5) Third through sixth graders may sign themselves into their classrooms. After class is over if parents have not picked up their child by 12:20 the teacher will accompany the child to where the parent is.
6) All volunteers working with children 0-18 years of age will immediately report any items of obvious concern regarding suspected child abuse. Volunteers will report suspected abuse to any Wasatch Church staff member who will notify the proper authorities.
7) All volunteers will arrive to their classrooms 15 minutes early.
8) Children will never be left unattended while in a class for any reason.
9) There should always be two adults in each classroom; there should never be a teacher alone with the children.
10) All volunteers should be available for occasional meetings and training.
11) All volunteers working with children will read and agree in writing to the above stated policies.

Safety Measures Letter

Dear Sunday School Parents and Wasatch Church Family:

Here at Wasatch we are committed to the safety of our children. We are implementing some changes that will help keep these precious gifts from God safe and secure. These changes will be effective on September 6th. So here are the changes that you can expect to see:

1. We will be starting a tagging system from the nursery through third grade. Each child will be given a numbered tag in class, with a corresponding tag given to his or her parent. When you pick up your child the teacher will only release the child to a parent (or family member over the age of 12) who has the matching numbered tag. Please replace the tags in the box before you leave the classroom.
2. Children in fourth through sixth grade can sign themselves in when they arrive in their class.
3. Children need to be picked up promptly so the teachers can attend a service and be with their family.
4. No child will be allowed to wander the halls; each child needs to be in a class that is age appropriate. We want to provide a safe environment for each and every child and we are unable to do so if children are not in their class.
5. No children under 12 will be allowed to pick up children in other classes.
6. Children need to be picked up from their class by 12:20 to give the teachers time to clean up their class.
7. After 12:20 if children are not picked up, they will be escorted to where their parents are by the teacher.

Our children's ministry relies on volunteers and parents to run, so we strongly encourage parents to volunteer in helping out in their child's class.

Thank you for helping us keep your children safe and secure.