Richmond (VA) Friends Meeting

Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Child Safety Policy: Criminal Background Checks

by | Jun 20, 2014 | Children and Religious Education, Minuted Decisions

Child Safety Policy: Criminal Background Checks

Adopted by Richmond Friends Meeting on June 15, 2015

The purpose of this policy is to ensure child safety. BYM encouraged such a policy and the insurance company required it.

One aspect of a child safety policy is Criminal Background Checks for persons who work with children in religious education, nursery care, or other Meeting activities.  The Trustees have developed a procedure to meet this requirement.

In the tradition of Friends, the Trustees have worked with the ad hoc committee to establish a procedure that is compassionate and forgiving, respects personal privacy, and allows individuals to make decisions that affect their lives.  The very notion of criminal background checks does not fit well with our tradition, but the Trustees have accepted the reality of this requirement and have attempted to develop a procedure that is both loving and thoughtful. The highest priority will always be the safety of the child.

Persons for whom Background Checks are required will include:

Adult Nursery workers 18 and over

Nursery Coordinators

Religious Education Committee and teachers

Persons who regularly are “Friendly Adults” caring for children

Both paid and volunteer adult workers will have Background Checks. They will be paid for by the Meeting, and the cost will be modest.

The Clerk of RE will review the procedure with possible workers and offer them an opportunity to share any background information that might be relevant.

A Trustee will forward the Background Check form to the investigating organization and will receive its report.

  • If there are no adverse findings, the process will move forward.
  • If there are adverse findings, the individual may withdraw from consideration or may request that the process continue.
  • If there are adverse findings and the individual requests that the process continue, the RE Clerk or Nursery Coordinators will determine whether they wish to proceed; only if they decide to proceed will details of the adverse finding be shared.
  • A committee made up of the individual, a Trustee, and the Clerk of RE/Nursery Coordinators or a designated member of the RE committee will work together to create a plan to mitigate any risks posed by the findings.

The Trustees will be responsible for the Background Check procedure and will report regularly to the Meeting as it is put into place.