Check-In/Check-Out Policy
Registration: Parents may register their children each year online or in-person for the Children's Ministry.
Nursery & Little Lambs Check-In: Parents of children aged birth-preK will register their children in the Lower Level before the 10:30 service begins.
Elementary Check-In: Pre-registered children in grades K-5 will be checked in by the Host after dismissal from the sanctuary. By allowing their child to go to the Lower Level with a volunteer, parents are allowing their child to be checked in.
Upper Elementary Dismissal: Parents may give their permission for their 4th or 5th grader to be dismissed at 11:35 (see below).
Birth-Grade 3 Dismissal: One parent or guardian will pick up their child.
Parents must pick up their children by 11:40, or five minutes after the church service is over. Children not picked up will be taken upstairs by ministry staff or volunteers.
As our 4th and 5th graders prepare for middle school, we want to offer them a bit more independence while maintaining a safe environment.
If you consent, your 4th or 5th grader will be dismissed directly from their classroom at 11:35 AM. You will not need to pick them up from their classroom; you can meet him or her in the gym, garden court, or other pre-arranged location immediately following the service.
Permission & Self-Dismissal Agreement
Permission to Self-Dismiss: I hereby grant my child permission to leave his/her classroom unescorted at 11:35 AM and proceed upstairs without adult supervision.
Parental Responsibility: I understand that once my child is dismissed at 11:35 AM, church staff and volunteers are no longer actively supervising. I assume responsibility for my child’s whereabouts and actions after dismissal.
Meeting Location: I understand that I must communicate with my child about where to meet after the service is over.
Revoking Consent: I understand that I can revoke this opt-in at any time by notifying the Children's Ministry in writing or via email.
We kindly ask that you follow the safety protocols established by your health-care provider and stay home with your child if he/she is sick. Children displaying any flu-like symptoms will be separated from the other children and caregivers will be contacted to pick-up their child.
Allergy or Health Concerns
In the event a minor is injured while in our care, the following steps should be followed: 1. For insignificant injuries, scrapes, and bruises, workers will provide first aid as appropriate and will notify the minor’s parent or guardian of the injury at the time the minor is picked up. 2. For injuries requiring medical treatment beyond simple first aid, the parent and/or guardian will immediately be summoned. If warranted by circumstances, an ambulance can be called by parent/guardian or worker. 3. Once a minor has received appropriate medical attention, an Accident/Injury Report Form will be completed and kept on file at the church.
Diaper & Bathroom Protocol for Nursery and Little Lambs
Diaper Protocol: Parents may opt-in to have their child’s diaper changed by an adult volunteer or receive help in the bathroom.
Bathroom Protocol: Children help themselves in the bathroom; adults remain at the outer doorway, and never enter the bathroom alone with a child. If a child needs help washing his/her hands, the door must be left open while the volunteer provides assistance, including hand-over-hand assistance to zip or pull up pants.
Learning Community Guidelines
Children in Elementary Ministry are encouraged to behave in ways that are condusive to learning about Jesus with others. If a child is acting in ways that are disruptive to learning, s/he will be spoken to one-on-one while still in the large or small group. If the behavior continues, the child will be removed from the group and taken to the hall for another conversation with a leader. If the behavior continues, the child will be reunited with her/his parents in the sanctuary.
