Contributors to this resource from Christianity Today see children as treasures who deserve to be kept safe, whether from allergic reactions or from other children or adults. Some concerns covered are fairly typical: clean nursery, classroom discipline, and selecting adult workers. Other topics are addressed less frequently: handling allergies, preventing abuse, using underage volunteers, and disciplining workers. Additional information is offered for each topic. How to select adult workers, for example, has five components: “the six-month rule,” using applications, consulting references, interviewing, and background checks. With respect to discipline, all the identified issues are age-graded, and each includes behavioral context, reference to the need a child has, and suggestions for fulfilling the need. Keeping children safe is important to all religious groups, making this article appropriate as a conversation starter or implementation tool for clergy, lay-leaders, teachers, and judicatory personnel from a variety of religious traditions.

Curated by Janet Hoover