Policy on Abuse Prevention
Friends General Conference will take all reasonable precautions to insure the safety of the children and youth at our Gatherings and conferences. To that end, we will provide appropriate screening of all staff and volunteers working with children and young people.
It is the policy of Friends General Conference to follow the procedures outlined below. This policy and these procedures apply to everyone who works with children and young people under 18, whether paid, compensated by workgrants or fee waivers, or volunteer, who are working in Junior Gathering, with the Gathering High School Program, as FAP’s [Friendly Adult Presences] or presenters at YoungQuakes or other programs, or providing child care at small conferences. In the procedures below, we refer to these people as “Youth and child care workers.” “FGC staff” refers to paid employees of Friends General Conference, including the Conference Coordinator, the Junior Gathering Coordinator, the General Secretary, and others who may have responsibilities for conferences where children and young people are present.
1. All potential youth and child care workers shall provide three references, including at least one who has direct experience of the person’s work with children and at least one who is a professional or institutional reference, rather than a personal one. Family members should not be used as references. References will be checked, and written records of reference calls kept on file. Reference checks will be repeated every 4 to 6 years for continuing workers.
2. All youth and child care workers (other than paid [local] babysitters) who will serve full time (that is, for the length of the event and not for just one day or as a lend a hand volunteer), must be active in a monthly meeting for at least six months prior to being hired. This shall be verified with the meeting clerk. Verification will be repeated every 2 to 4 years for continuing workers.
3. All workers who will have supervisory roles, or who will have overnight responsibility for children or young people, or who may be alone with young people, will consent, in writing, to a criminal and/or child abuse background check. The checks will be performed by FGC staff in national and state databases. The checks will be repeated every five years for continuing workers.
4. All information from references, monthly meetings, and background checks will be held in the strictest of confidence. Files will be maintained on appointed staff for up to 20 years (until the youngest child reaches majority plus 2 years) in a secure file. Access to these files will be limited to paid FGC conference staff, the FGC General Secretary, the FGC presiding clerk, and the clerk of LRCP. These files are the property of FGC. Upon written request to the Conference Coordinator, workers shall have access to their files except for letters of reference, which are confidential and not available to the worker. The file is not available to others outside of FGC.
5. Workers who have not undergone the more thorough screening, including “walk in” volunteers, will be supervised at all times. Under no circumstances will these workers be left alone with a child other than their own.
6. Should FGC staff have a question or concern about information revealed during the hiring procedures, they must consult in confidence with either the Conference Coordinator or the General Secretary who may in turn consult with the LRCP clerk or the presiding clerk. Decisions of the staff and the clerks shall be final.
7. FGC will provide abuse prevention training for High School Counselors, Junior Gathering leaders, and others in leadership roles. This training may be mandatory for workers in certain positions.
8. Detailed procedures, restrictions, and guidelines will be developed and explained to all youth and child care workers.
9. Any allegations of abuse will be taken seriously. All such allegations are to be reported immediately to the Conference Coordinator, the General Secretary, the clerk of LRCP and/or the FGC Presiding Clerk. Additional procedures will be developed to protect and care for the victim(s) of abuse, the alleged perpetrator(s), and others close to both. Our existing guidelines and procedures for Sexual Harassment should form a good basis for these procedures. In addition, Friends General Conference shall comply with all government regulations for reporting of abuse.
Adopted by LRCP 23 October 2004
