Safety makes relationship possible.
Children and youth need spaces where they can explore, play, question, take appropriate risks, build relationships, and become increasingly independent. They also need adults and systems they can trust.
UUFC’s Board-adopted policies establish expectations for the adults who work with children and youth, supervision, communication, transportation, privacy, and responding when something goes wrong. Our Standard Operating Procedures and Religious Exploration practices put those commitments into action.
Who works with children and youth?
Adults and youth who work with children and youth at UUFC must be approved by the Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration, agree to a code of ethics, provide current contact information, and must pass a criminal background check. Adults generally must also have attended UUFC for at least six months, although the Minister or Director of LIfespan Religious Exploration may make an exception, particularly for those who have come from another UU congregation and have a verifiable record of serving children well in that other covenanting space.
If a volunteer or program staff member is not acting or functioning appropriately, Board policy gives the Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration and Minister authority to release that person from their role immediately while the matter is investigated.
Supervision and boundaries
During designated Religious Exploration and Fellowship childcare activities, responsibility for supervision transfers from parents and guardians to the guides providing that program. Outside those designated times, children and youth remain under the supervision of their parent or guardian. This means that an adult has a line of sight to their children at all times, or another adult has agreed to be the supervising adult and the children know which adult is supervising them.
We are a covenanting community that takes both welcome and safety seriously. Our community includes people with a range of histories, including individuals with known sexual offenses who participate under specific safety covenants. Because we also welcome visitors, we cannot know the history or circumstances of every person on our property. Active supervision also protects children from more ordinary risks. When children are left unattended, normal childhood curiosity and boundary-testing can create opportunities for interpersonal harm, particularly in private or one-on-one spaces. And running or rough play in shared areas can pose a real danger to people with vulnerable bodies. For all these reasons, children should remain with their responsible adult or within a supervised Religious Exploration program while at UUFC.
All minors participating in our programs are to be directly supervised. Except for parents, adults should not be alone with children in cars or rooms. When circumstances make a one-adult/one-child situation necessary, doors are to remain open and incident reports are to be filled out documenting the scenario that required nonstandard supervision.
Guides and childcare staff are required not to assist children with toileting, and diaper changes are handled by parents or guardians. When a child needs bathroom assistance, they will be brought to the parent or guardian for such care.
UUFC’s policies call for training and support for RE Guides around sexuality, abuse, and related concerns. Annual safety training is required for RE Guides and childcare providers.
The Fellowship recognizes that a religious community may sometimes learn about circumstances in a child’s or youth’s life that require intervention. Board policy establishes our responsibility to provide a safe and nurturing environment; the procedures for responding when abuse is suspected are maintained in UUFC’s Standard Operating Procedures.
An Incident Report is required whenever a safety policy is not followed, an injury or property damage occurs, or a pattern of behavior develops for which documentation may be helpful.
Communication with youth
Our policies are designed to keep communication between adults and minors transparent.
A second adult—such as a parent, co-advisor, or the Director of Religious Exploration—must be included on emails or texts with minors. Adult volunteers do not initiate social-media contact with UUFC minors. If a young person contacts an adult mentor through an online platform, communication stays on the public side of that platform rather than moving into private chat. Adults may not communicate with minors using platforms that automatically delete the record of the conversation.
Transportation
Guides driving children or youth to Fellowship-approved activities must have a copy of current driver’s-license and insurance on file with the RE office. Drivers must be at least 24 when transporting youth to events.
When UUFC staff arrange transportation for a minor, the “rule of threes” applies: two unrelated adults must be in the vehicle with the child or children. Families may instead make private transportation arrangements for their own child and notify the appropriate RE adults in advance.
Privacy and images
UUFC protects personal information from unauthorized use or disclosure. Personal information is not sold, rented, or transferred to third parties without written permission, apart from the information shared with the Unitarian Universalist Association as a condition of congregational membership.
Parents or guardians give permission for image use in the registration form, and permission may be withdrawn by sending an email to dre@uucorvallis.org.
Childcare at Fellowship events
Childcare is part of making congregational life accessible to families. Advance childcare registration helps us make sure adequate care is available. Just like all other times when children are left in the care of non-parental adults at UUFC, childcare will be provided by 2 unrelated and background checked adults.
Want to know more?
These are plain-language summaries of UUFC’s Board-adopted policies and Religious Exploration procedures, rather than replacements for the policies themselves. Up to date and exact language for UUFC Board policies can be found in the filing cabinet section at the bottom of this website.