Policy on Child Abuse Prevention
Approved by Interim Meeting February 2, 2006

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Overview
To create and sustain the safe, loving Meeting communities that Friends rightfully expect, we must nurture the spiritual lives and community of our young Friends. This nurturing requires the work, energy and deep dedication of many adults, both paid and volunteer. It also requires a safe environment. Physically, spiritually and emotionally, our children must feel safe and be safe to grow in God’s Light.

There are many things we do to create an environment of safety around our children. For example, we maintain confidentiality in worship-sharing with children as well as with adults; we care for children tenderly through conflicts with their peers; and we have a strong adult-child ratio in our programs. We also take care to choose for those programs adults who will keep the children safe and not harm them.

Like other religious groups, the extended Quaker community in the United States has been giving focused attention to the topic of child safety in the last few years. This increased attention stems from two primary sources: our increased awareness of the reality that children’s safety has not always been adequately safeguarded in the past; and the insurance industry’s insistence that institutions develop more thorough, consistent procedures to protect children from knowable risks. Child safety has long been a priority among Friends, and our insurance company has prompted us and partnered with us to move in the direction of developing and implementing appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of the young people – and the adults entrusted with their care – at our gatherings, sessions and events.

To that end, it is the policy of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to follow the provisions stipulated below.

Policy
This policy – and the procedures and documents referenced within it – apply to all PYM paid staff and all persons who work in PYM-sponsored programs with children and young people under 18, whether paid, compensated by workgrants or fee waivers, or as volunteer “Friendly Adult Presences” (FAPs). In this policy, we use the term “youth and child care workers” to refer to all such persons. The programs covered by this policy include gatherings of PYM Young Friends, PYM Middle Schools Friends, the children’s program at PYM Annual Sessions, and other PYM-sponsored events at which a youth program or child care is officially provided.

1. All prospective youth and child care workers shall provide three references. Two of the references should be of a professional or institutional nature (i.e., where the individual has worked or volunteered with children, if applicable), rather than a personal one. Family members should not be used as references. References will be checked, and written records of reference calls kept on file. Reference checks will be repeated every 4 to 6 years for continuing workers. (See “Procedures for Selecting and Approving Volunteer Workers” – PYM Child Safety Document B; “Youth and Child Care Worker Reference Request” – PYM Child Safety Document D; and “Questions for Background References” – PYM Child Safety Document G.)

2. All volunteer youth and child care workers must be active in a Monthly Meeting for at least six months prior to working at a PYM event. This shall be verified with the Meeting clerk. Verification will be repeated every 2 to 4 years for continuing workers. (See “Meeting Relationship Verification,” PYM Child Safety Document E.)

3. All PYM paid staff and youth and child care workers who will have supervisory roles, or who will have overnight responsibility for children or young people, or who may be in a one-on-one counseling or mentorship role with minors, will consent, in writing, to a criminal and/or child abuse background check. The checks will be performed by authorized PYM staff using approved, confidential Internet-based services that utilize appropriate national and statewide databases. The checks will be repeated every five years for continuing workers. (See “Criminal and Sexual Offense Investigation Consent,” PYM Child Safety Document F.)

4. All information from references, Monthly Meetings, and background checks will be held in the strictest confidence. Files will be maintained on approved workers for up to 20 years (until the youngest children who have been in their care reach majority plus 2 years) in a secure location. Access to these files will be limited to PYM staff authorized by the General Secretary, the clerk of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting or the clerk of the Education Standing Committee. These files are the property of PYM. Upon written request to the General Secretary, youth and child care workers shall have access to their files except for letters of reference, which are confidential and not available to the worker. The file is not available to others outside of PYM. (See “Internal Administrative Checklist for Prospective Youth Workers,” PYM Child Safety Document L.)

5. Specific procedures relating to the prevention of unsafe conditions for children will be communicated and adhered to during PYM-sponsored events. As necessary, these procedures will be modified to relate specifically to particular venues, populations or conditions. Youth and child care workers who have not been approved through the official PYM screening process, including “walk-in” volunteers, will be under the supervision of approved workers. Under no circumstances will non-approved workers be left alone with a child other than their own. (See “Procedures for Preventing Child Sexual Abuse” – PYM Child Safety Document A.)

6. In the event that PYM staff have a question or concern about information revealed during the hiring and/or background screening procedures for a worker, they must consult in confidence with either the Director of Education or the General Secretary, who may in turn consult with the clerk of PYM or the clerk of the Education Standing Committee. Decisions of the authorized staff and the clerks shall be final.

7. PYM will provide abuse-prevention training for employees, Friendly Adult Presences and others in leadership roles related to youth and child care. This training may be mandatory for workers in certain positions.

8. The detailed procedures for the various provisions in this policy (some of which are referenced herein as Documents A – L) will be periodically modified and updated by PYM staff, as authorized by the General Secretary, in consultation with the Education Standing Committee.

9. Procedures and guidelines will be explained to all youth and child care workers. Current versions of procedures documents will be posted on the PYM website.

10. Any allegations of abuse will be taken seriously. All such allegations are to be reported immediately to the event coordinator, the Director of Education, the General Secretary, and/or the clerk of the Education Standing Committee. Steps will be taken to protect and care for the alleged victim(s) of abuse, the alleged perpetrator(s), and others close to both. (See “Procedures in the Event of Alleged Child Endangerment” – PYM Child Safety Document C.)

11. In addition to the above provisions, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting shall comply with all relevant government regulations for reporting of abuse.

Tom Hoopes, 215-241-7224 or e-mail: tomh@pym.org; 1-800-220-7096, extension 7224