Children and Youth Policies
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For the safety and well-being of everyone in our program, the Children's Religious Education program has the following policies in place.
Commitment to Inclusion No child participating in our programs will ever be intentionally hurt, left out, or discriminated against based on their race, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, economic status, or family structure. When unintentional harm is inflicted, we will follow the steps outlined in our Right Relations Guidelines. Religious Education volunteers and staff strive to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment to all. Communicable Disease Policy After every gathering, our staff and volunteers clean and sterilize their workspace. However, when children congregate, there is always the chance that viruses will spread. In a collaborative effort to stem the spread of communicable disease in our church, we ask that parents do not bring their child to church if their child has had a fever in the past 24 hours, anyone in the household is experiencing Covid-19 like symptoms, or the child has been diagnosed with a communicable disease. Additionally, while we do not currently require staff, volunteers, or children to be vaccinated, First Unitarian is following CDC guidelines when it comes to masking (some exceptions may apply). Classroom Discipline Policy We are a covenantal faith. We are brought together not by creed or dogma, but by our shared commitment to each other and our respective spiritual journeys. At the beginning of every year, Children's Religious Education classes explore this concept by creating covenants of their own. Teachers explain that their covenant is a list of promises of how they will treat one another in the coming year. Once children understand this, they are invited to affirm their commitment to each other by pledging to follow the covenant. Throughout the rest of the year, your child’s teacher will refer to the class covenant in times of conflict in a process known as Restorative Justice. Food Policy The Sunday School space is a nut-free zone. Additionally, snacks are not served regularly in any of our classes. However, occasionally, food will be served as part of a lesson. At these times, the Director of Children's Religious Education will notify families with known food allergies. Our teachers are trained to identify the signs of anaphylaxis and to notify parents as soon as any of these signs appear. For their part, parents of children with food allergies are asked to carry an Epi-pen with them at all times and to administer medication if anaphylaxis were to occur (other arrangements are made on field trips). If you have a child with a food allergy, please email the Director of Children's Religious Education ([email protected]) immediately. Photo Release Policy While we do our best to obtain prior permission to use your and your child’s photos in our publications, you should know that First Unitarian's current photo release policy is an opt-out policy. In short, your or your child’s photo may be used without your consent unless you contact the Director of Children's Religious Education and state that you do not want us to use your photos. We never publish children's names. Safe Congregation Our classrooms are staffed by a mixture of paid classroom leaders and volunteers. As detailed by our Safe Congregation guidelines, the following volunteer requirements are in place:
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