- Child or Minor - a person under 18 years of age Adult – Any person over the age of 18. 

- Church – Refers directly to First Baptist Church of Webster (420 Slossen, Webster TX 77598). 

- Worker – Adult who is a member in good standing of the Church and has passed all background checks and training. 

- Leader – Any worker who oversees or leads any class or other ministry. 

- Leader in Training (LITs) – Minor who is in at least the 7th grade and a member of the Church. 

- Adult Volunteer – Any adult who freely gives their time, knowledge, and skills and is not eligible to be a worker. 

- Youth Volunteer – Any minor who freely gives their time, knowledge, and skills and is not eligible to be a Leader in Training (LIT). 

All volunteers/workers/leaders who work with minors shall be subject to a background investigation by the Church which may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history check. 

     a. Background investigation will be completed bi-annually. 

     b. If the church learns of false, misleading or amended information on an application that could cause potential danger to children or liability to the church, that person will be removed from their position. Please pick up your forms from the Church Office. 

All Leaders in Training (LITs) and their parent/guardian shall complete the LITs application which will be reviewed by the Sr. Pastor and Youth Leader. Upon receiving a unanimous approval the LIT may begin working in their assigned section. 

     a. The LITs application must be completed annually. 

     b. Any Youth Volunteer who will be returning on a regular basis must also comply with this policy. 

All records of background checks and LITs applications shall be retained for a minimum of two years from completion. All individuals who work in any capacity with minors in the Church shall complete bi-annual training on Child Protection and safety. 

There will be at least two (2) adults in any room where minors are present. 

     a. If only one adult is available, then the door shall remain open and everyone in the room shall remain in plain public view. LITs and Youth Volunteers must be supervised by a leader/worker/volunteer at all times when working with children. 

No Adult Volunteer will be allowed to work unsupervised with children in any capacity until they have been an active and participating member of the church for a minimum of six (6) months. The applicant must have been a regular attendee and involved in church activities for that period of time. This time of interaction between our leadership and the applicant allows for better evaluation and suitability of the applicant for working with children. 

     a. The six-month rule may be waived with the authorization of the Sr. Pastor. If waived, program ministers must take additional steps to screen the applicant. 

     b. Once the six (6) month period is complete and the Volunteer has joined the Church, he/she may then apply for a Leader or Worker position. 

     c. Youth Volunteers may work with the children as long as they are supervised at all times by a Leader or Worker. 

It is the responsibility of all persons having contact with children participating in church programs to promote the emotional and physical safety of the participants giving regard to all factors and circumstances known to them. If in their opinion, an unsafe condition exists; such persons shall immediately take appropriate precautions under the circumstances to protect all children. 

     a. Nothing contained in any other church policy, procedure or instruction shall be construed to relieve persons having contact with children from this responsibility. 

     b. Any suspected abuse (physical or sexual), neglect, or exploitation shall be reported to the Sr. Pastor and a written incident report completed. Based on the Sr. Pastor’s findings the Webster Police Department and/or Child Protective Services will be contacted. 

     c. Incident reports will include the child’s full name and address as well as the actor’s full name and address. The report shall also contain a specific description of the incident and the names of any other witnesses. A copy of the incident report is attached to this policy 

     d. Failure to report such abuse, neglect, or exploitation, or making such a report in bad faith is a misdemeanor under Texas law. The Texas Family Code provides civil and criminal immunity for persons reporting or assisting in the investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect and includes immunity for participation in any judicial proceeding resulting from the report. 

     e. All reports of child abuse or neglect shall be held in absolute confidence. No person shall communicate any information concerning the alleged event to any person except as necessary to cooperate with any official investigation. 

The Sr. Pastor, Associate Pastor, Youth Leader, Children’s Program Leaders shall strictly enforce all policies. 

All leaders/workers/volunteers/LITs shall dress modestly and make every attempt to wear any appropriate uniform associated with their role. All children should be dressed modestly and appropriately. 

Releasing children from Church sponsored activities. 

     a. Children who are under six years old will only be released to parents or guardians. Minor siblings are not permitted to pick up or remove a child from a class. 

     b. Children who are six years old or older are permitted to leave the area of the church activity at the conclusion of the scheduled activity without further supervision of the workers unless otherwise instructed by the parent or guardian. 

     c. No child under twelve years of age shall be allowed to leave Church property unattended or in a group without specific permission from the child’s parent/guardian. 

The Leader must be able to account for all children assigned to their class at all times. If a child is unaccounted for, then other adult leaders including the Children’s Program Leader, Youth Pastor, Associate Pastor, or Sr. Pastor shall be notified so that the child may be located without leaving the other children unattended. 

If a present is to be given to a child, the parent must first approve. Gifts may be given to an entire class on appropriate occasions. 

Physical contact between adults and children should be kept at a minimum. 

     a. Hugs may be accepted from the side, all others should be redirected to the side. 

     b. No adult will solicit or force hugs or any other physical contact with a child. 

     c. No adult is to allow a child to sit on his/her lap. The only exceptions would be the parent of the child and those working with children that it would be deemed age appropriate. For those that are age appropriate, they shall only be allowed to sit on the adult’s knee. 

Persons who drive Church owned or privately-owned vehicles for conducting church business or transporting children on a regular basis must maintain a current valid Texas driver’s license, provide proof of insurance in such amounts as may be required by the church and comply with all other church transportation policies. 

All applicants must acknowledge in writing that they understand the church’s policies pertaining to the protection of children and that they agree to abide by them. This requirement will be met by having applicants sign the Acknowledgement of Receipt form. Please pick up your form from the Church Office. 

Any person found to be in violation of all or any portion of this policy may be removed immediately from all positions held working with minors and may face disciplinary action from the Church and civil or criminal charges.