6 Safety Tips

Part of loving kids and teaching them about the gospel is making sure they have a safe place in which to learn during Vacation Bible School. Show kids and parents that you value them and their safety by making sure that church staff and volunteers adhere to these safety tips:

1. Screen volunteers. – Use lifeway.com/backgroundchecks to screen each volunteer, even ones who have been at your church a long time. This may offend some helpers, but encourage them to remember that this is for their protection and for the confidence of parents and kids who are new to the church and is therefore important. Consider also using the 6/2 Rule: each volunteer should have been a member of the church for six months and there should always be at least two adults with minors.
2. Teach in a safe environment. – Aspects of this will look differently in a church VBS than in a Backyard Kids Club. Regardless of the space, get on a child’s eye level and look for potential hazards such as exposed plugs, breakable objects, swimming pools, playground equipment and bee hives. Make sure that the space is not only safe but free from distractions that would keep kids from learning.
3. Have a First Aid Kit handy somewhere near where the majority of your Vacation Bible School is being held and make sure you know where it is. If you are a director make sure that all teachers know where the First Aid Kit is and how to use it.
4. Know the number of kids in your class on any given day and count them often to make sure no one has gone missing. If you are a director, stress to teachers the importance of keeping up with all kids in their group.
5. Establish a bathroom procedure that allows one teacher to supervise younger children from the bathroom door while always within sight of another adult. A teacher should never be alone in the restroom with a child. Remind teachers that this is for their protection as much as it is for the children.
6. Follow your church’s drop off/pick up plan. This plan should include ways to keep kids safe and occupied while cars are coming in and out of the church parking lot and ways to be sure that an approved adult picks up each child.

What other safety tips can you think of to add to these? We’d love to hear them in the comments!
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