The monitoring and supervision of programs and activities involving children or youth is important for safeguarding children and youth and involves several aspects. One aspect involves having structural guidelines or standards for the programs and activities for children and youth. These include such things as who approves new programs, how many adults need to be present and the like. In addition to setting structural guidelines and standards, church leaders must make sure the structural safeguards are followed. Programs and activities have to be monitored and supervised to do that.
Another aspect of monitoring and supervision is that supervisory personnel and others monitor and supervise the behavior of adults, youth and other children with children and youth so that inappropriate behaviors and interactions can be detected and stopped. Some behaviors and interactions are potentially harmful to children or youth in and of themselves. Examples include providing alcohol or drugs to children or youth or actually having sexual contact with a child or youth. Other behaviors and interactions are not necessarily harmful in and of themselves but are the same behaviors and interactions known to be used by those who abuse children or youth to “groom” them or their parents for eventual abuse or which provide the privacy child molesters need in order to abuse children or youth. Examples of those behaviors and interactions include holding children over the age of three on the lap, transporting a child or youth alone, and the like.
The structural guidelines and standards are covered in both this Monitoring and Supervision section and in the following section, General Conduct for the Protection of Children, Youth, and Vulnerable Adults (Appendix A). The behaviors and inter-actions of persons with children and youth that need to be monitored and supervised are covered in the section on General Conduct for the Protection of Children, Youth, and Vulnerable Adults and in the Guidelines for Appropriate Affection (Appendix C),
- Church Personnel are prohibited from being alone with a child or youth or multiple children or youth where other adults cannot easily observe them.
- Church Personnel over the age of 21 must directly supervise Church Personnel under the age of 18 and be physically present during all activities.
- An up to date list of approved congregation-sponsored programs for children and youth will be maintained in the church office or other place where church records are kept.
- Church Personnel are not permitted to develop new activities for children and youth without approval from the rector or canonical equivalent. Requests to develop new activities should be submitted in writing to the rector. The rector will consider whether the plan for a new activity includes adequate adult supervision.
- At least two unrelated Church Personnel must supervise activities. When both boys and girls are participating, male and female adults must be present.