Always Looking for Church Nursery Volunteers?
November 16, 2016
Having a hard time finding people to serve in the church nursery? Do new volunteers stop serving, shortly after they begin? There could be a number of reasons for that.
Perhaps your volunteers are serving long periods without a day off. Or they’re expected to watch twice as many children as a person could handle. Or they feel overwhelmed because they’re inexperienced and don’t know what to do.
Having solid procedures for selecting, training, and supervising church nursery volunteers can help you close the revolving door. Not only that, but it can keep the children in your care happier, because they get changed, fed, and comforted on time. They might even learn a Bible lesson.
If you want to improve safety and decrease volunteer turnover, look for ways to improve how you screen, train, and supervise nursery workers.
Write out your policies
Draft a written policy for nursery staff and volunteers.
- Clearly explain nursery worker roles and responsibilities.
- Outline your child supervision and staff accountability procedures.
- State that any person who poses a possible threat to children may not work in your nursery.
Choose Workers Wisely
When nursery volunteers are scarce, you may be tempted to accept all who express interest. Be careful. Doing so opens the door to people who might not be suited for child care. Consider these five steps when screening your nursery staff and volunteers.
- Consider only applicants who have attended your church for six months or longer.
- Collect written applications and review them carefully.
- Check references.
- Conduct personal interviews.
- Perform criminal background checks.
Create a Safe Haven for Children
Following good supervision procedures can help you establish a trustworthy reputation and reduce the likelihood of abuse. It also makes it easier for your ministry to refute false allegations. Here are some to consider:
- Require at least two adults to serve in each nursery room, no matter how few children are there.
- Allow teens to work alongside two or more screened adult volunteers, but don’t place them in charge.
- Enlist a hall monitor to check staffing compliance and make sure operations run smoothly in each nursery classroom. This person also may monitor hallways and exits, help newcomers find their way around, and help supervise restroom breaks.
- Maintain consistent child/teacher ratios to ensure that your caregivers aren’t overwhelmed and that each child receives adequate care. Experts recommend the following:
- Infants (0-6 months): Two babies to one adult
- Crawlers (6-12 months): Three crawlers to one adult
- Toddlers (12-18 months): Four toddlers to one adult
- Walkers (18-36 months): Five or six walkers to one adult
- Register nursery children by gathering guardian contact and residential information, the child’s allergy information, and so on.
- Establish a sign-in/sign-out system to ensure that each child leaves your nursery with the correct person.
- Develop procedures for dealing with sanitation, housekeeping, emergencies, injuries, discipline, and child abuse reporting. Consider keeping your procedures in a binder in your nursery, where workers can reference them easily.
- Offer introductory training and refresher courses to your nursery staff and volunteers to ensure consistent procedural compliance, as well as emergency preparedness: certification in CPR, first aid, and preparedness to recognize signs of neglect and abuse.
Following these guidelines will set your ministry on a path toward making its nursery safe and enjoyable for all who spend time there – including your volunteers.
- July 22, 2021
- Thousands in Relief Funding Available to Ministries Through the Employee Retention Credit
-
-
Most ministry leaders don’t realize there is funding available to non-profit employers including churches, schools, colleges, and camps. This post includes some highlights about the credit and guidance on where to start to see if your ministry is eligible.
- February 25, 2021
- Catalytic Converter Theft on the Rise: Protect Ministry Vehicles
-
-
Did you know that the precious metal Rhodium is more than 10 times more valuable than gold? It has increased from $650 an ounce in 2015 to $22,000 an ounce in 2021.
- November 23, 2020
- COVID-19 and the Christmas Season
-
-
Preparing for this Christmas season may require additional creativity, due to the uncertainty of what COVID-19 may bring in our local community.
- October 28, 2020
- Guidance for Ministries About Boy Scouts' Bankruptcy
-
-
A mid-November deadline in the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) bankruptcy proceedings may have you wondering what the organization’s bankruptcy filing means for your ministry if you ever hosted or chartered Boy Scout Troops.
- October 1, 2020
- Applying for PPP Loan Forgiveness
-
-
Organizations that obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding through the CARES Act can have their loans forgiven, turning them into grants. To qualify, each borrower must file a forgiveness application with its PPP lender, proving that it followed the rules. If your church, school, college, or camp meets all the criteria, 100% of its loan can be forgiven.
- July 21, 2020
- Tips for Beating the Summer Heat
-
-
Not only can summer heat be uncomfortable, but it can also pose a threat to your health. The heat can be especially dangerous for the elderly and for infants. Regardless of your age, don’t let the summer heat get the best of you!
- March 31, 2020
- CARES Act: Churches Need to Apply Now
-
-
Learn about the CARES Act and two loans for which ministries may be eligible, since Congress authorized additional funding April 23.
- March 6, 2020
- Coronavirus and Your Ministry: Tips for Prevention
-
-
As concern over the dangers associated with the spread of a new coronavirus, COVID-19, spreads, our agency and Brotherhood Mutual want to keep you informed and provide best practices for managing the spread of this and similar illnesses at your ministry.
- January 29, 2020
- Hosting a Game Day Bash? Brush Up on Copyright Basics
-
-
The first Sunday in February is a big day for sports fans. In fact, many Americans view Super Bowl Sunday as a national holiday. Friends and families will gather this year to watch the big game, enjoy delicious snacks, and of course, critique the commercials that go along with game day.
- Are You Covered If You're Injured Overseas?
-
-
Recently, we learned about two major overseas incidents involving pastors on mission trips. The first incident involved a pastor being hit by a motorcycle while running. The second was a bus accident involving two pastors. The runner and one of the two bus passengers sustained extensive injuries.
- IRS Announces More Church Audits Regarding ACA Compliance
-
-
Last month, the IRS announced that its initiating hundreds of church exams to test compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While many provisions only apply to churches with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees (FTEs), even smaller churches could potentially violate provisions applicable to health benefit plans with as few as 2 plan participants.
- July 3, 2019
- Celebrate Safely This Independence Day
-
-
July 4th is synonymous with food, fun, and fireworks. If your church is planning an event this Independence Day, remember to keep a focus on safety, so that everyone can have fun.
- June 28, 2019
- Insurance is one of those things we forget about until we need it
-
-
National Insurance Awareness Day falls on June 28 this year to remind people everywhere that insurance is vital to their companies and ministries.
- May 5, 2019
- May 5-11 is Hurricane Preparedness Week
-
-
The National Weather Service (NWS) has designated May 5-11, 2019, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Is your ministry prepared?
- April 9, 2019
- Vehicle Registration Guidelines for Ministries
-
-
Do you use commercial vehicles that transport more than 15 passengers or carry cargo from one state to another as part of your ministry? If so, you are required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and obtain a USDOT number.
- September 21, 2018
- Measles Reported in 21 States, Including North Carolina
-
-
The Centers for Disease Control says 107 cases of measles have been reported in 21 states, including North Carolina, since January 1.
- June 1, 2018
- June Is National Safety Month - Week 1: Emergency Preparedness
-
-
The National Safety Council has designated June as National Safety Month, so we want to make sure your ministry is doing everything it can to protect its people, property, and programs. Each week in June, we’ll tackle a different topic. Up this week: Emergency Preparedness.
- April 18, 2018
- Collect Online Donations? This New Scam Targets You
-
-
There’s a new scam in town, and ministries and other organizations collecting donations are the primary target. If your ministry collects tithes or donations, you could be targeted by scammers practicing donation overpayment fraud.
- February 21, 2018
- Remembering Billy Graham
-
-
Beloved evangelist Billy Graham was called to his heavenly home on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, at the age of 99.
- February 9, 2018
- Flu Is Widespread: Protect Your Congregation
-
-
For the first time in its 13 years of influenza monitoring, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that every state in the continental U.S. is seeing widespread flu activity. Get tips on how to keep your congregation healthy this flu season.