Part 2

DISCOVERY VILLAGE NURSERY

Volunteer Procedures

Check-In

1. Arrive at least 20 minutes before the service.
2. Check in with the Team Leader for instructions. Mark yourself present on the orange volunteer attendance roster and on the iPad.
3. Follow the grade-level guidelines for your specific nursery classroom.
4. Wear comfortable and appropriate clothing and shoes (place blue booties over your shoes).
5. If possible, do not wear perfume or cologne when serving in the nursery.
6. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.
7. Do not bring hot beverages into the nursery, or keep them well away from babies.
8. Follow our Well Child Policy.
9. The Team Leader will monitor the volunteer-to-child ratio.
10. Do not smoke before serving.

Care of Babies

• Only adult women (18 and older) may change diapers.
• Care for children according to their parents’ instructions.
• Rock, sing, read, and play to show God’s love to them.
• Give children your full attention.
• While in the nursery, do not kiss the babies.
• Wash your hands before handling another child.
• Change diapers as needed.
• After every diaper change, wash your hands, replace the paper roll, and disinfect the changing table pad.

Check-Out

• The Team Leader will check all name tags during checkout. No child will be released without a matching tag number.
• Briefly describe the child’s nursery experience to the parent.

Clean-Up

• Place dirty linens in the laundry basket.
• Using supplies from under the sink, clean all large toys and equipment with sanitizing wipes and spray.
• Wash small toys in the sink with spray, then rinse and allow to dry.
• Return other toys to their designated areas.
• Label and date any leftover items and place in the lost and found.

Safety and Security

• There must be two unrelated volunteers ages 18 and older present in a room. One must be a female.
• All first-time guests must fill out the required registration information at the Welcome Center before coming to the classroom. They will receive a green sticker.
• Ada Bible Church uses a name tag system for security. A numbered name tag is placed on the child, and the parent keeps a matching number for pickup. A child will only be released to the person with the matching tag number.
• Volunteers may not walk the halls with a fussy child. If a child continues to fuss, the parent will be paged. The tag number will appear on monitors in the atriums and venues.

Volunteer-to-Child Ratios

• Birth to 12 months: one volunteer to three babies
• 12 to 24 months: one volunteer to four children
• Volunteers in grades six through twelve count as .5 when calculating the ratio, unless stated otherwise by the room coordinator.

If the ratio is exceeded, kindly ask parents to wait until additional volunteers have been called using our (0000) system.

Emergency Procedures

In Case of Fire

• If a fire alarm sounds, assume the danger is real and prepare to evacuate immediately.
• Do not accept offers of outside help. Volunteer-to-child ratios are in place to handle evacuations. If a parent comes to the nursery, invite them to exit the building with you.
• This policy ensures an accurate count of all children.

Birth to Crawlers

11. The leader will grab the check-in iPad and the classroom folder.
12. Each volunteer will either carry two babies or place them four to a crib in the evacuation cribs, then prepare to roll them out.
13. Volunteers will evacuate through the emergency door closest to them, as noted on the escape route signs.
14. Everyone exits the room following the posted evacuation route.
15. The Team Leader checks the room and closes the door.
16. The Team Leader checks the iPad or sign-in sheet to account for all babies. Only then can the Team Leader release babies to the parent or guardian with the matching tag number.

Walkers to 24 Months

17. The leader will grab the check-in iPad and the classroom folder.
18. Volunteers place six children in evacuation cribs or strollers.
19. Everyone exits the room following the posted evacuation route.
20. The Team Leader checks the room and closes the door.
21. The Team Leader checks the iPad or sign-in sheet to account for all babies. Only then can the Team Leader release babies to the parent or guardian with the matching tag number.

In Case of a Tornado Warning

If a tornado warning is issued, follow the evacuation route and sit down. The Team Leader checks the sign-in sheet to account for all babies before releasing any child to a parent or guardian with the matching tag number.

In Case of a Tornado Watch

• Class will continue as usual.
• Discovery Village staff will monitor weather conditions.
• Parents may come and request to take their own children home. The leader will verify that tag numbers match before releasing any child.

Health and Wellness

Well Child Policy

In order to maintain a healthy and safe environment for all children in Discovery Village, Ada Bible Church follows the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please do not bring your child to class if they have experienced any of the following in the past 24 hours, or if any of the following are currently present:

• Fever in the past 24 hours
• Diarrhea or vomiting in the past 24 hours
• Pink eye or other eye infections (red, crusty, or watery discharge)
• Sore throat
• Persistent or productive sneezing or coughing
• Colored nasal discharge: white (viral infection), yellow or green (bacterial infection)
• Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin)
• Skin infections: sores or crusts on the scalp, face, or body, especially if red, swollen, draining, or spreading
• Skin rash other than diaper rash
• Lice
• Swollen or tender glands, especially around the face or neck

If a child enters the nursery and shows any of the above symptoms, page the parent immediately. When the parent arrives, gently explain, “We are concerned about [child’s name] not feeling well.” Say a warm goodbye with an encouraging comment, such as, “Come back and see us when you are feeling better!” All comments to parents should reflect our love and concern for their child’s comfort and wellbeing.

Neither volunteers nor staff of Ada Bible Church are allowed to give any medication to any child in Discovery Village.

Anyone who wipes a child’s nose—including the child—must wash their hands afterward.

Injury Policy

Minor Injury

• A first aid kit is available at the Welcome Center and in each classroom.
• Always wear gloves when there is potential contact with blood, vomit, or excrement. Notify DV staff promptly, who will then notify the Facilities Team. Allow the Facilities Team to dispose of used items.
• If there is an open wound, carefully wash it and apply a bandage if needed.
• If an infant or child falls, comfort them, examine them for injury, and apply a cold compress to any emerging bumps.
• Page the parents.
• Fill out an Incident Report Form and give it to the coordinator. The coordinator is responsible for entering it into the database.

Major Injury

• Call 911 if the injury is life-threatening.
• Contact the parents and the coordinator immediately.
• Notify the Welcome Center host or DV staff, who will page the Medical Team for assistance.

When a Child Bites

If a child has been bitten or has an open wound:

• Comfort the child and tend to the wound. Wear gloves and wash the wound.
• Contact the coordinator and explain the incident.
• If there is blood, page the injured child’s parents. The coordinator will discuss the incident with the parents in a gentle and caring way and may suggest they call their pediatrician. If the bite is small, they may choose to speak with the parent at the end of the hour.
• An Incident Report Form must be filled out for all biting incidents and submitted by the DV coordinator online. Forms are available at the Welcome Center.

Here is our policy if a child bites:

• First warning: The parent and coordinator talk through the incident. Biting is an age-appropriate response to frustration for children who are still learning to use words. Let the parent know the policy at pickup.
• Second warning: If the child bites again, a parent is invited to come to the nursery for the rest of the hour, or is asked to attend the next class with the child.
• Third warning: If the child bites a third time, a parent is asked to be present in the nursery for two consecutive weeks to help prevent further incidents.

Suspected Abuse

If a volunteer suspects abuse:

• Keep it confidential.
• Ask the DV Campus Supervisor to witness the evidence of your concern.
• The Campus Supervisor will take the appropriate action.

Diaper Changing Policy

Church policy states that only adult women (18 and older) may change diapers.

• Check and change a child’s diaper if it is wet, soiled, or if the child seems fussy.
• Check the sign-in sheet before changing a diaper, as some parents may have specific requests.
• Use the diapers and wipes provided by the parent in the child’s diaper bag if requested.
• Extra diapers, wipes, gloves, and plastic bags are in the cupboards near the changing tables.

Steps for diaper changes:

22. Place the clean rolled-out paper under the child and dispose of it after use.
23. Wear gloves (located in a labeled drawer in each room) to protect yourself and the child.
24. Dispose of diapers in covered containers.
25. Place an “I have been changed with love” sticker on the front of the diaper.
26. Dispose of the paper roll and wipe down the changing area with a sanitizing wipe.
27. Wash your hands.

Feeding Policy

• Nursery volunteers are not to spoon-feed a child baby food.
• Bottle-fed babies should receive their bottles according to their parents’ instructions. Make sure the bottle is labeled.
• If a bottle needs to be prepared, follow the parents’ instructions. Otherwise, the ratio is one scoop of formula to two ounces of water.
• If a bottle needs to be warmed, use the bottle warmer in the nursing room and follow the posted instructions.
• Cheerios are provided for babies in individual cups on a clean, sanitized table or tablecloth.
• Watch that babies do not share each other’s cups, bottles, or pacifiers.

Nursing Mom Room

Nursing mothers are welcome to use the nursing room after checking in on the sheet located in the nursery check-in area.

Older Nursery

• Check the sign-in sheet for food allergies before feeding children.
• Make sure all cups are labeled.
• Have children sit at the tables or in the designated spot on the floor when eating or drinking.
• Club Crackers are provided for the children.
• Always supervise children while they are eating.
• Watch that children do not share cups, bottles, or pacifiers.

Discipline

“Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:9-11)

Our goal in discipline is to guide the child toward an inner response of obedience that produces righteousness and peace in all their relationships. This can only happen in an environment of loving care that makes it safe for children to be obedient to volunteers and, ultimately, to God.

Let children know what is expected of them:

• Keep hands and feet to themselves
• Show respect to one another
• Do not distract others
• Participate with a positive attitude

Consequences when children do not follow the rules:

• First warning: Remind the child of expected behavior.
• Second warning: Verbal warning, restating expected behavior and consequences.
• Third warning: A brief “time out” inside the classroom with supervision. This is not a punishment but a chance for the child to regain control and rejoin the group.
• Fourth warning: Removal from the classroom to the parent. Depending on the severity, this could be for that day or for the following week as well.

If a child is consistently aggressive:

28. Contact the DV Coordinator and explain the full situation.
29. Talk with the parent at pickup for more context (Was it a hard morning? Are they teething? Could they be hungry?).
30. If the behavior continues, radio the DV Coordinator. They may decide to page the child’s parents. When the parents arrive, remove the aggressive child from the nursery for the day.
31. The DV Coordinator will discuss the situation with the parents in a gentle and caring way.

The coordinator will also inform the parents of the aggressive child of the following:

32. We will try again next week.
33. If the behavior continues, the parent should be present in the nursery with the child for one Saturday or Sunday to observe behavior.
34. Then the child may try nursery again the following week.
35. If the behavior continues, the parent will be gently asked to remain in the nursery until the behavior improves.
36. Once behavior improves, we will try nursery again without the parent.

This policy is in place for the safety of all our children.

PART 4

Discovery Village Elementary

Safety and Security

General Safety

• All volunteers must wear their Discovery Village name tag during their ministry hour.
• All volunteers should mark themselves present on the orange volunteer attendance sheet and on the iPad.
• Elementary-age children can be dropped off by anyone who has the numbered tag, including an older sibling.
• There must be two unrelated volunteers ages 18 and older present in a room. One must be a female.
• Only children, parents, staff, and volunteers may enter Discovery Village during ministry hours.
• If a parent wants to visit a classroom for the hour, they must first notify DV staff. We will check their license and note it on the blue sheet at the Welcome Center.
• A volunteer, greeter, or helper will take attendance on the iPad.
• Children will only be released to the person with their matching numbered name tag. See Lost Tag Policy.
• Shoes must be worn at all times by children and volunteers.

Volunteer-to-Child Ratio

Kindergarten through fifth grade: one volunteer to twelve children.

Male and Female Leaders for Small Groups

Kindergarten through fifth grade: only female leaders lead girl groups. It is preferred that boy groups be led by a male leader, but females may lead boy groups when necessary.

Bathroom Policy

Children should ask a leader when they need to use the bathroom. The leader or coach directs the child to the nearest bathroom. A Welcome Center staff member or DV staff will ensure the child exits and returns to class. Volunteers are not to enter the bathroom with a child or leave their small group unattended.

Physical Contact Policy

Physical contact with children should be minimal and only in the presence of other adults. Appropriate touching is limited to handshakes, high fives, fist bumps, side hugs, or a brief touch on the shoulder. Volunteers should not have elementary students sit in their lap.

Emergency Procedures

Detailed emergency procedures are posted in all classrooms. All volunteers must know where they are and be familiar with the evacuation route for their room.

In Case of Fire

1. Have children form a line.
2. Exit the building via your evacuation route.
3. Volunteers must take the iPad and the attendance folder.
4. Do not release children to their parents until you are outside, all children are accounted for, and you have been given the all clear.
5. Count kids before leaving the classroom and again after reaching the designated area outside.

In Case of a Tornado Watch

• Class will continue as usual.
• Discovery Village staff will monitor weather conditions.
• Parents may come and request to take their own children home after tag numbers have been verified.

In Case of a Tornado Warning

6. Remain calm and have children form a line.
7. Take children to the designated area and sit down.
8. Volunteers take the iPad and attendance folder.
9. Count kids before leaving the classroom and again on arrival.
10. Do not release children to their parents until the all clear is given. Parents may stay with their children until they are released.

Health and Wellness

General Guidelines

In order to maintain a healthy and safe environment for all children in Discovery Village, we follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Please do not accept a child in the classroom if they display—or you become aware of—any of the following symptoms:

• Fever in the past 24 hours
• Diarrhea or vomiting in the past 24 hours
• Pink eye or other eye infections (red, crusty, or watery discharge)
• Sore throat
• Persistent or productive sneezing or coughing
• Colored nasal discharge: white (viral infection), yellow or green (bacterial infection)
• Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin)
• Skin infections: sores or crusts on the scalp, face, or body, especially if red, swollen, draining, or spreading
• Skin rash
• Lice
• Swollen or tender glands, especially around the face or neck

Neither volunteers nor staff of Ada Bible Church are allowed to give any medication to any child in Discovery Village.

Anyone who wipes a child’s nose—including the child—must wash their hands. Antibacterial wash is available in every bathroom and classroom.

If a child has a known immunodeficiency, that information will be shared only with the caregivers who need to know in order to protect the child. Parents of other children in the program will not be given any confidential medical information.

When a Child Bites

If an elementary child bites, please follow the preschool biting protocol in Part 3 of this document.

First Aid

Minor Incidents

• First aid kits are located in each room and at the Welcome Centers.
• Gloves are provided and must be used by anyone handling an injury or any situation involving body fluids such as vomit or blood. Contact DV staff for cleanup.
• Parents must be told the same morning about any incident involving their child. An incident report must be filled out. Reports are at the Welcome Center. The coordinator must enter the report into the database and follow up with the parent that week.

Major Incidents

• Stay calm. Calm the children and the injured person.
• Do not move the injured person and do not leave them.
• Clear the area; move other children into another room.
• Call 911 if the injury is life-threatening.
• Contact Discovery Village staff immediately. DV staff will notify the parents.
• Notify the Welcome Center host or DV staff—they will page the Medical Team for assistance.

Epipen

If a child needs their EpiPen, it must be administered by their parent—unless the parent has signed the EpiPen document giving DV staff or volunteers authority to administer it. The signed document is kept at the Welcome Center and on the child’s record.

Contacting Parents During Service

If a parent needs to be contacted during the service, use the number display box. A room leader or Welcome Center host should enter the child’s number using the instructions at the Welcome Center.

Suspected Child Abuse

The following may be signs of child abuse:

• Burn marks on the body
• Bruises and blisters on the arms, legs, face, or buttocks
• A child says someone is or has been hurting them
• Repeated rubbing or scratching of private areas
• Frequently and urgently needing the bathroom
• Being very on edge; sudden noises or movements cause them to flinch
• A sudden, distinct change in personality
• Unexplained fear of certain people

Taking Action

If you suspect a child involved at Ada Bible Church has been abused, follow these steps:

11. Report the suspected abuse to your director or Discovery Village staff immediately—and no later than 24 hours after the suspected abuse.
12. Do not interview the child about the suspected abuse. That will be handled by a trained professional.
13. Do not discuss the abuse with other volunteers, the child, the child’s family, or anyone other than your director or DV staff.
14. Do not confront the person yourself.

If you have reason to suspect abuse, you are legally obligated to report it to a Discovery Village staff member.

Discipline

“Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:9-11)

Our goal in discipline is to guide the child toward an inner response of obedience that produces righteousness and peace in all their relationships. This can only happen in an environment of loving care that makes it safe for children to be obedient to volunteers and, ultimately, to God.

Expectations for children while in the classroom:

• Keep hands and feet to themselves
• Show respect to one another
• Participate with a positive attitude

Consequences when children do not follow the rules:

• First warning: Remind the child of expected behavior.
• Second warning: Verbal warning, restating expected behavior and consequences.
• Third warning: A brief “time out” inside the classroom with supervision. This is not a punishment but a chance for the child to regain control and rejoin the group.
• Fourth warning: Removal from the classroom to the parent. Depending on the severity, this could be for that day or for following weeks as well.

If a child reaches a third warning during the class hour, the parent should be informed of the situation and told what will happen if the behavior continues.

If a child reaches a fourth warning, they will be removed from the classroom for a period of time determined by the Elementary Coordinator.

Please be advised: Discovery Village reserves the right to remove a child from a classroom immediately—skipping warnings one through three—if the child’s actions are severe. The child’s parent will be notified immediately. The removal may be indefinite.

Discipline must always be carried out in a kind and quiet manner. Volunteers should never raise their voice toward a child. Do not threaten a child. This can cause great anxiety. Only state the consequences of their actions. “Time out” is simply a chance for the child to regain control before returning to the group.

Tips for effective discipline:

15. Keep directives simple and positive. Say: “Crayons are for coloring on paper.” Not: “Don’t color on the tables or walls!” Say: “It’s time to color.” Not: “Would you like to color now?”
16. Recognize appropriate behavior. Others wanting to receive praise will seek to imitate praiseworthy behavior.
17. Model patience, kindness, goodness, and more. Children learn by watching. You can only shape another life when you are submitting to the discipline of the Holy Spirit yourself.
18. Have a good sense of humor. Be sensitive to the insecurities of the children. Learn to laugh at yourself and with them, not at them.
19. Be prepared for class. Good planning prevents boredom, which can lead to misbehavior.

Please note: The church does not condone the use of physical force or fear as a disciplinary response. Volunteers and staff should never resort to physical force to compel obedience. If all other means fail, return the child to their parents.

Off-Site Policy

Church-Sponsored Events

Throughout the year, the church holds sponsored events off campus, and small group leaders may plan off-site gatherings as well. If parents are not present at the event, a release form is required for each child attending. This is included in the event sign-up form.

Non-Church-Sponsored Events

Small group leaders often plan activities outside of church with their small groups—such as sleepovers, movie nights, and Christmas parties. For non-church events, Ada Bible Church makes the following suggestions:

• Leaders should communicate the details of the event to parents in advance, including any changes, and have a signed release form before the event begins. Release forms are available from DV staff.
• The leader should have a reliable contact number to reach parents in case of an emergency.
• For the safety of all, Ada Bible Church requires that two unrelated adults be present at all times.

If the leader will be driving children, they must have a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, and permission from the parent to transport the child. DV will conduct an enhanced background check before the event.

Ada Bible Church assumes no liability or responsibility for non-church-sponsored events.