Holiday Kids Clubs are important ministries. They build relationships and help children encounter the God of the Bible without the distractions and pressures of everyday life. However, they are not without risk.
The following are 8 questions you must ask if you’re preparing a Kids Club to help ensure it is safe for children and leaders alike.[1] Let’s look at how the fictional church of St Jude’s Presbyterian prepares for its annual Kids Club:
The Summer Holiday Kids Club is a real highlight at St. Jude’s Presbyterian Church. Children, leaders (and parents!) are already looking forward to it. David, Sarah, and Pete, the Kids Club directors, know that safety and success hinge on careful planning and management. To begin, they open the Breaking The Silence Manual to Section 16, which contains essential ‘non-negotiable’ requirements for organising and running camps for children and young people. [2]
While a Kids Club is not a camp per se, there is much overlap between a camp and a Kids Club, and the relevant sections will help ensure their Kids Club is safe for everyone. They will also refer to other sections of the Breaking The Silence Manual as noted below.
1. Have We Chosen a Safe and Appropriate Venue? (S15.4 16.5)
The directors choose a different venue to their regular Sunday kid’s church venue. Sarah evaluates potential locations, ensuring they meet the Kids Club safety, capacity, and activity requirements. She uses the risk assessment matrix from Section 16.5 to determine if the location suits their activities.
2. Are Our Leader to Child Ratios Adequate? (S16.5)
Is an appropriate level of supervision provided? Pete reviews Section 16.5 as a guide to supervision ratios of leaders to children. Whilst ratios will be dependent on many factors e.g. experience of the leaders, any special needs, it can aid directors plan how many leaders they must recruit.
3. Have all the leaders been screened and approved by the Session? (S15.7, S15.8)
Having considered an appropriate number of leaders to provide adequate supervision, Pete then goes on to recruit the leaders, ensuring they are screened and approved by Session as per Sections 15.7 and 15.8.
4. What information must we send to and receive from the children and their carers before the Kids Club? (S 16.8)
Pre-Kids Club communication is vital for a safe and successful Kids Club. Pete uses the template in S16.8 to draft a registration form that can capture the required information and provide the necessary info for children and their parents/carers. Include any dress code requirements e.g. closed shoes, hat.
5. Have we prepared our Kids Club Leaders? (S8, S11, S12, S16.9)
Having recruited the required number of leaders (see point 3 above), the directors then provide pre-Kids Club training sessions for all leaders. These cover the leader’s responsibilities as outlined in 16.9 (taking note of those responsibilities that would still be relevant for a Kids Club), including how leaders should relate to children (especially regarding physical contact). The training also covers the Code of Conduct to which leaders are bound (Section 8), what to do in the event of a disclosure of abuse (Section 11), and reporting requirements (Section 12).
6. How Will We Manage Photography and Social Media Appropriately? (S16.11)
David carefully examines section 16.11, which deals with photos/video and social media. He notes the stringent requirements for leaders and children alike. As a result, the directors consider how best to communicate and enforce these requirements or whether to have a ‘no phone’ policy at Kids Club to ensure these strict guidelines are adhered to.
7. Are we Ready to Accommodate Children with Diverse Needs? (S16.15)
Sarah ensures the Kids Club is accessible to all children, regardless of ability or background. She works on personalised plans for children with special needs in partnership with the relevant carers. These might include children who require wheelchair access. The Kids Club directors also consider cultural needs.
8. Are we depending on God for the Success of the Kid’s Club?
While the directors do everything to plan and run a safe and enriching Kids Club, they realise its success depends on God. Thus, they soak their preparation in prayer and ask the leaders, parents/carers and children to do the same.
Are you planning a Holiday Kids Club? Use this checklist, along with the relevant sections of the BTS manual as your guide to planning a Kids Club that is fun, spiritually enriching, and safe.
[1] As will become apparent, these are merely some of the questions you should ask. See the BTS Manual for further details.
[2] For a softcopy, visit breakingthesilence.org.au/resources
