Child abuse is defined as any verbal or sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or infliction of injury. Examples of sexual abuse are: rape, incest, sodomy, lewd or lascivious behavior which includes wrong types of speech or touching.
In order to protect the child from abuse and our workers from false accusations, the following steps must be taken:
- Volunteers (who come in contact with minors), paid staff and board/committee members must be screened by interview prior to serving with Child Evangelism Fellowship®.
- All workers (paid and volunteer) must be trained in the Child Protection Policy by hearing or viewing a USA Ministries Protecting Today’s Child presentation.
- All workers (paid and volunteer) must read, understand and sign a statement agreeing to follow the policies and procedures concerning child protection and reporting as prescribed by USA Ministries.
- Children must not be left unsupervised while in our care.
- Two CEF® workers (paid or volunteer) must be present at any CEF activity or ministry setting where children are present.
- Even when ministry to children is not taking place, an additional adult or minor must be present when two workers are together and one is a minor, unless the minor’s parent has signed a waiver.
- All rooms used by adults and minors together must be accessible (no locked doors) and with open visibility (a window in the door or the door left wide open).
- Supervisory personnel must make random visits of CEF sponsored activities.
- Overnight activities sponsored by CEF involving minors must be approved by the local or state director and the local committee or state board.
- All suspicious or inappropriate behavior between a CEF worker (paid and volunteer) and a minor must be reported to supervisory staff and investigated immediately.
Unless specified the following must be completed for volunteers (who come in contact with minors), for paid staff and board/committee members:
- Confidential Screening Form.
- Background/Reference Check Authorization.
- Conduct criminal background check.
- Conduct personal interview.
- Review Protecting Today’s Child presentation.
- Read Child Protection Policy.
- Check personal and church references from Confidential Screening Form (for all paid staff, camp and overnight activities staff).
Requirements for minors (under 18) paid or volunteer:
- Check two references, one of which is the pastor.
- Complete a., b., d., e. and f. above
Criminal Background Check Requirements
Volunteers (18 years old and older) Minimum requirement
- National Criminal Database Search
- National Sex Offender Registry Search
- Social Security Number Address History Trace
- If your legal jurisdiction requires more, you must also comply with their requirements.
- Volunteers must show a government issued ID (e.g., driver’s license).
Staff (18 years old and older) Minimum requirement
- National Criminal Database Search
- National Sex Offender Registry Search
- SSN Address History Trace
- Criminal record check for all states where worker lived in the past five years
Criminal Background Check Screening Rules
Check reference in cases where the applicant has a criminal record or other red flag that does not necessarily disqualify them from participation in CEF ministries.
The following would prevent a person from working with CEF:
- Any crime against children. No exceptions will be made.
- Any sex crime of any type. No exceptions will be made.
- Any felony convictions. Exceptions require the approval of the district director or associate director.
Exception reports must be filed with the vice president, USA Ministries.
Rescreening Requirements
- Minors (paid or volunteer) must be rescreened when they reach their 18th birthday.
- The background check must be rerun for any workers who have not been active within one year.
- Every five years a background check must be rerun.
- The Protecting Today’s Child presentation should be reviewed annually.
- For a worker transferring to another area, the Screening Procedure Checklist with the transfer information completed needs to be obtained from his former location. If the background screening was conducted more than five years prior, the transferred worker should be processed as you would a new worker.
Ensuring Compliance
- The local committee chairman is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Child Protection Policy within his local chapter. Each year the local committee chairman will validate compliance by signing the Child Protection Policy Compliance Verification Form and sending it to the state board chairman.
- The state board chairman is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Child Protection Policy yearly, within his state. Yearly, the state board chairman will confirm compliance by signing the Child Protection Policy Compliance Verification Form for the state and sending it to USA Ministries.
- USA Ministries will monitor to ensure 100% compliance with this policy.
Reporting Obligations
When anyone who is employed by Child Evangelism Fellowship® has reasonable suspicion that a minor is being abused by a CEF employee or volunteer, or is himself accused, or someone whose action would reflect on CEF is accused, the following action must be taken:
- Call USA Ministries as soon as possible and within 24 hours. Notify your next higher office that this step has been taken.
- Any person suspected of child abuse will, upon request, voluntarily relinquish or be removed from duties which involve direct contact with minors until the matter is completely resolved.
- USA Ministries will give counsel regarding the future ministry of the accused staff member or volunteer.
WARNING: Failure to follow reporting procedures of USA Ministries may result in termination of all CEF workers responsible in this reporting process.
Notwithstanding any statement herein, all CEF staff and volunteers shall fully abide by all state child abuse reporting requirements.
NOTE: this is version 3.0 of the policy and was provided by the national / international CEF website found here. Any changes or corrections on the official CEF national / international website (cefonline.com) take precedence over information found here
