Safety Covenant 2019: Responding to and preventing sexual abuse

This policy is written in a spirit of hope, rather than paranoia. We want to be a community in which healthy touch can happen, in which people do not need to be afraid. 

Chicago Community Mennonite Church covenants to be a safe place for all of God’s people. Given the preciousness of our children and their potential vulnerability to abuse, we strive to ensure their safety and full participation in our community. Out of our commitment to care for all of God’s creation we make this covenant to our children, families, and community. The council chair will include this document in annual congregational meeting materials and draw attention to policies pertinent to individuals in specific roles. Over time we will modify this covenant. 

This document outlines our commitments; click here for our procedures for responding to reports of abuse
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We commit to

1. wait and learn to know new attendees for at least six months before asking or allowing them to teach Sunday School, help in the nursery, open up the building in the morning, or provide leadership in other ways that affect the safety of others.
2. have at least two adults who are authorized caregivers (and not from the same household) at activities and events with minors that are separate from the full congregation. This includes nursery care providers, Sunday school teachers, and substitute teachers. Authorized caregivers are adults who are at least 18 years old and who have had a background check free of incidents related to the safety of children and youth. The congregation will provide background checks for all paid staff and volunteers working with children or youth, including mentors in addition to the roles above. The council chair will coordinate background checks.
3. provide training in adhering to the two-adult policy in its specifics: for example, teachers for the youth Sunday School class must be at least five years older than the youth, in addition to being authorized caregivers. People younger than 18 can provide care for younger children, in addition to the two authorized caregivers. In the nursery we will do this each Sunday, even when there are only one or two children. It is the expectation that if a person is signed up for nursery and cannot be there, it is their responsibility to find a replacement who meets these criteria. Nursery caregivers will get parents out of the service if a child needs to have a diaper changed.  With children who need assistance in using the toilet, the caregiver will leave the door open such that the other adult can see from the window in the nursery door. In any case, the adult can help wash hands.
4. cultivate a culture in which parents are encouraged at any time to drop-in and observe or participate in Sunday school classes, nursery, or other activities (though they do not count as one of the two adults if they are not an authorized caregiver). Doors must remain open at all times in any classrooms without windows in the doors.
5. provide a public setting as often as possible for pastoral counseling, especially with youth. When an office meeting is most appropriate, the door will remain open or the individuals will be easily visible through the window in the door.
6. strive as a community to model consent for people of all ages. We want to be able to engage with each other through hugs and touch, but only after receiving consent. This extends to infants; if you are invited to hold an infant, do not give the child to someone who is not their parent without seeking parental consent. Touch between adults and children should be for the comfort or well-being of the child, not the needs of the adult.
7. prioritize prevention and supporting survivors even as we strive to be a welcoming place for everyone. Anyone known to have abused children or teenagers, or who has been credibly accused of doing so, will be supervised around children or youth and will not be allowed to be involved in children’s or youth ministry (formal or informal). 
8. deal with reports of abuse as legally required. If a child discloses abuse, the person to whom the child disclosed the information will immediately make a report to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (800-252-2873) or 911, if there is a perceived threat to the child’s immediate safety. Any adult who has observed conduct or evidence that leads them to suspect child abuse will also make a report. See our “Procedure for Responding to Reports of Abuse of a Minor” for details. If a member has concerns, but no evidence, about another churchgoer working with children, they can bring those concerns to the council chair, the pastor, the chair of the Education Committee, or a member of the Prayer and Care Team. We lament and commit to working to end the injustices perpetrated by the carceral system; we recognize that there are individuals in our church whose consciences do not allow them to report information to DCFS or police because of the possibility of exposing anyone to trauma or police violence. While we respect the conscience of such individuals, in order to be an authorized caregiver one must report suspected child abuse to DCFS, as well as being willing to call or ask someone else to call 911 in an emergency situation when a child is believed to be in imminent danger. 
9. respond according to our sexual abuse protocol as needed and requested if an adult experiences abuse or harassment and informs any of the people named above. See our “Procedure for Responding to Reports of Abuse of an Adult” for details.
10. monitor our implementation of this Covenant. The council chair will provide oversight, assessing compliance and reporting to the congregation at the annual congregational meeting each December. This covenant will be annually reviewed in October by the church council for needed changes and possible additions. 
    
    

Affirmed December 2019