Zip Tip: Safety Part 1
Safety is such an important part of Zip for Kids. As you reach the kids in your community, they need a safe environment to learn about who God is. Also, as you reach out to your zip code, you will encounter parents that may have never even heard of your church. It is important to show them how seriously you take their children’s safety.
- 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. Think about using the 6/2 Rule, or something like it, as well: each volunteer should have been a member of the church for six months and there should always be at least two adults in a room with minors.
- Teach in a safe place. – Whatever your space looks like for Zip, it’s important to get on a child’s eye level and look for potential hazards where each of your teachers will be working 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.
- Have a First Aid Kit handy and make sure you and each of your volunteers know where it is. Consider a brief first aid tutorial for teachers from someone with experience in that area, especially for track leaders over tracks that lend themselves toward injury.
Have more safety tips? Share them with us in the comments!
For more information about Zip For Kids click here.
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