From Overture 6 – Georgia Foothills Presbytery
“Child Protection in the PCA”
“All church leaders should become informed and take an active stance toward preventing child sexual abuse in the church by screening staff and volunteers, training them in child protection, and actively maintaining child protection policies pertaining to our obligations to love our children and protect their rightful interests as God’s image-bearers from the devastating actions of abusers.” (Matthew 18:5-6)
CEP recommends the following resources regarding Child Safety:
Books
- Child Safety Guidelines for Local Churches by Roger N. McNamara (Xulon Press)
- Safe Kids: Policies and Procedures for Protecting Children in the Church by Blake Caldwell (Beacon Hill)
- Preventing Child Abuse by Beth A Swagman (Faith Alive Christian Resources)
- Helps churches and nonprofit organizations develop policies and procedures to protect children and youth.
- Safekeeping by Henni Helleman, Patricia J Vos (Faith Alive Christian Resources)
- An age-appropriate two-session abuse prevention curriculum for grades K-8.
Online Resources
- Brotherhood Mutual Insurance—Brotherhood Mutual provides an Online library of safety and risk management materials created especially for churches and related ministries. The website has articles, checklists, guidebooks and tools, publications, sample forms, and training.
- MinistrySafe—MinistrySafe is another online ministry that trains church staff and volunteers in the area of child abuse prevention
- Website: www.MinistrySafe.com
- Safe Kids at Church
- Doulos Resources
Examples of Policies
- Child Safety Policy—Example I
- Child Safety Policy—Example II (Severna Park EP Church)
- Child Safety Policy—Example III
- Child Safety Leader Code of Conduct—Example I