Flatonia Baptist Church is committed to ensuring the safety of all Children and Youth who attend our ministry activities.  For that reason, our church has adopted SafeKids, a system of policies, procedures, and tools that is designed to equip our Team Members with the tools they need to protect Children and Youth from sexual abuse.

Our SafeKids system is built around four key practices:

1: Screening
Before they can work with Children or Youth, Team Members must have been a member of Flatonia Baptist Church for at least six months or a regular attender of Flatonia Baptist Church for at least a year.  This allows us to have an opportunity to become familiar with each of our Team Members and to evaluate their fitness to serve in our ministries.  Additionally, all Team Members who are over the age of 18 are required to pass a criminal background check (renewed every two years) and to resolve any questions raised by the background check before they will be allowed to participate in activities involving Children or Youth.

2: Sexual Abuse Awareness Training
All of our Team Members are required to have a basic understanding of the dangers of sexual abuse and the behavior of abusers.  For this reason, Team Members are required to complete training each year which focuses on understanding the grooming process, recognizing dangerous behavior, and taking steps to stop potentially dangerous situations.  This training will be renewed each year prior to the start of summer activities.  Team Members are not eligible to serve in activities involving Children and Youth unless they have completed the most current training provided by our church.

3: Policies and Procedures
Using information and resources from experts in the field, our church has compiled a policy manual that is designed to prevent situations in which abuse can occur.  These policies are updated each year based on current best practices as well as our experiences in the prior year.  Team Members will receive specific training in these policies each year prior to the start of the summer’s activities and are required to sign an agreement form indicating their commitment to follow the policies prior to serving with Children or Youth at our church.

4: Reporting Suspected Abuse
Team Members will receive specific training on when, how, and to whom reports of suspected abuse or neglect must be made.  It is the responsibility of the Ministry Staff to take immediate action if any dangerous situation arises and to ensure proper reporting of suspected abuse to child protection authorities.  Each of our Team Members is required to promptly report any suspicious activity and to work with the Ministry Staff to ensure that full cooperation is given to any law enforcement investigation.

Click the button below to view our SafeKids policy document.