Child Safety - Child Discipleship

What Is Proactive Child Safety?

The “proactive” in Proactive Child Safety means ministries should take measures to prevent abuse — not just respond to it — and provide for child safety in hopes that you would never face an allegation of abuse. More than training and background checks, ministries that serve children need a comprehensive, “all-in” commitment to child safety, and that commitment should be clearly communicated in policies, training and a written response plan.

Developing Proactive Child Safety Starts with Self-Assessment

What are you doing to protect kids?
Do you regularly train your staff and volunteers on signs of abuse?
Do you screen all staff and volunteers before they have access to kids?
Do you have a written response plan in place if an allegation of abuse is ever brought against the ministry?
Are you communicating your Child Safety Program to the parents in your ministry?

Once you’ve answered those questions, you’re ready to move toward a proactive safety plan. This resource will help you learn what Proactive Child Safety looks like in a ministry, as well as the steps you should take to establish that level of safety.

Proactive Child Safety as Discipleship...

Brings parents along using clear communication

Is aware of the prevalence and signs of abuse

Places utmost importance on prevention of abuse

Is equipped to respond to allegations of abuse

Gets your entire church on board

Realizes this isn’t a one-and-done job

Template Letter to Parents

Once you have a Child Safety Program in place, it’s important to communicate to parents what it entails. This demonstrates to parents:

You take child safety seriously.
You are “for” their children.
You are partnering with them to ensure a safe environment for their children.

This is an example of a letter you could send out to parents annually or as a part of an orientation packet once they are involved in your children’s ministry. Feel free to adapt this resource to your ministry’s context. You may also consider having separate letters for your ministry to children in grades 5 and below ministry, as well as one for your youth ministry. Make sure everything you communicate in your letter to parents is actually being implemented in your ministry!