WHEN CHILDREN ARE AT RISK by Power Trade Media

MAY / JUNE • 2017

When children are at

RISK

Proactive, proven strategies for protecting the kids in your care

Featuring: Bob D’Ambrosio, Sharon Doty, R.J. Frasca, Gregory S. Love, Esq., Sara Miller, Kimberlee D. Norris, Esq., & Alex Smith

CHURCH EXECUTIVE

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Table of Contents WHEN CHILDREN ARE AT RISK

Proactive, proven strategies for protecting the kids in your care, including: • The biggest risks and liabilities facing churches • What makes churches targets for sexual abuse risks • S creening, background check and check-in / check-out processes Featuring Bob D’Ambrosio, Sharon Doty, R.J. Frasca, Sara Miller, Kimberlee D. Norris, Esq. & Alex Smith

FAST, EASY, SECURE CHILDREN’S CHECK-IN

By Alex Smith

CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AND THE CHURCH: KEEPING THE WOLF OUT OF THE SHEEP’S PEN

Featuring Gregory S. Love, Esq. & Kimberlee D. Norris, Esq.

IN GOD WE TRUST … ALL OTHERS MUST BE SCREENED. HERE’S WHY

By Children’s Ministry Magazine

ENGAGING AND WORKING WITH THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION

By Sara Miller

BE AWARE & PROACTIVE

Featuring Kimberlee D. Norris, Esq. & Gregory S. Love, Esq.

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CHURCH EXECUTIVE

When children are at

RISK

Proactive, proven strategies for protecting the kids in your care

Bob D’Ambrosio Ministry Consultant Shepherd’s Watch Background Checks from Group Publishing

Sharon Doty Consultant to the VIRTUS Programs National Catholic Services, LLC

R.J. Frasca Director of Marketing and Product Development Protect My Ministry

Sara Miller Director of Marketing SmartCare

Kimberlee D. Norris Sexual Abuse Attorney / Co-founder MinistrySafe

Alex Smith CEO KidCheck Secure Children’s Check-In

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Q: What are the biggest risks and liabilities facing churches in the area of protecting children?

children and the good names, reputations, finances and well-being of our adult parishioners at risk.

D’Ambrosio: The days are over when ordering a background check on a new volunteer was the ultimate ‘extra-mile’ effort of an ultracareful church. Today, a background check is standard practice — period. But, it’s also just one part of a screening effort to ensure safety. Churches need a comprehensive safety plan, including screening, safety policies and procedures, abuse awareness, and training.

Norris: Churches too often have the misconception that ‘sexual abuse doesn’t happen here,’ which is inaccurate. Child sexual abuse skips no spiritual paradigm. In fact, one large study indicated that the prevalence of child sexual abuse is slightly higher in ‘very religious environments.’

Doty: One of the biggest risks churches face is youth ministers, choir directors, counselors, teachers and coaches who think they don’t need to pay attention to prevention efforts. Many assume it won’t be an issue in their ministries. Another challenge is that many regard the issue as if it’s resolved or ‘someone else’s problem’ — i.e., issue fatigue. Recently, for example, a church secretary elected not to share information about scheduled abuse prevention training with a group of homeschooling parents / church members. Why? Because she was uncomfortable with the subject matter. Another problem is perpetrators’ use and proliferation of social media apps to groom youth. Parents need to familiarize themselves with these apps, and which ones their children use. Frasca: I‘d say the biggest risk is not truly knowing those you’re working with. Estimates have shown 90% of child sex offenders have no previous criminal records. Also, developing a comprehensive program to protect your children and church from predators can be a very daunting task. Miller: Not every state requires faith-based child care centers to be licensed; so, many protections are overlooked, such as CPR / SIDS trainings, background checks and ratios. Not being able to remotely access information in times of emergencies is another problem. Many churches use outdated systems for child tracking (including pen and paper). This hinders children’s safety on a daily basis. If all parents’ emergency contact information is written down in the church and filed in an office, how would it be accessed if a fire broke out at the church and children had to be evacuated? How would each classroom know who was present? Being able to access that information on a mobile device makes it easy to be prepared in any situation. It also speeds up the sign-in / signout process. Smith: The No. 1 reason churches are taken to court are allegations of child sexual abuse. Even if abuse isn’t proven, a single accusation can be devastating, both financially and reputationally, to the church, resulting in a destroyed ministry. Q: What makes churches targets for sexual abuse risks? Doty: A culture of trust and welcome. Unfortunately, this is a magnet for predators who see the church as vulnerable and take advantage of that. Also, there are some who think the ‘healthy suspicion’ piece of our safe-environment training undermines a culture of trust and welcome. What they forget (or simply don’t realize) is that God encourages us to welcome the sinner and to support those who wish to change their ways — but that doesn’t mean complete, unsupervised access to the most vulnerable among us. Another concern is that we’ll damage a welcoming attitude for volunteers. Volunteers are great, but there’s a lot at stake when we give them too much access. Without proper screening, we place our churchexecutive.com

Frasca: Sexual predators will always target a highly trusted environment where children are present. Churches inherently feel safe for parents when it comes to their children, making them an ideal target. Miller: Churches aren’t the only settings vulnerable to these risks; any unlicensed child care setting is at risk because there are no minimum standards that must be met. If a child care setting is unlicensed, there are no requirements for ratios or background checks, which can leave children at risk. Smith: Predators know how to portray themselves as professional, caring and kind — the ‘ultimate volunteer.’ And everybody is always short of volunteers. Predators know this and capitalize on it; in fact, more than 90% consider themselves ‘religious’ or ‘highly religious.’ So, they know (even if they agree to a background check) that it might not be followed up on, and references might not be interviewed. It’s important to point out that only about 10% of sexual abuse cases get prosecuted in the United States. Consequently, quite a few offenders won’t show up on the National Sexual Offender Registry. No one wants to believe a human being is capable of targeting a child for sexual abuse. But the sad truth is, they will work tirelessly to gain trust and access to their victims. D’Ambrosio: Churches often buy into one of three myths regarding background checks: (1) that they ‘know’ everyone in their church; (2) that one background check, performed once, is enough; and (3) a local or state check is adequate. Sadly, in as many as 93% of child sexual abuse cases, the child knows the abuser. Most perpetrators are well-known acquaintances. Additionally, many insurance providers now mandate re-screening — annual background checks — to maintain liability coverage. Finally, people with a criminal past move from state to state. They might have committed a criminal offense outside the state in which they reside. Q: In large churches, how common is a written child protection policy? What common oversights or mistakes do you observe? Frasca: It’s very common for larger churches to have documented child protection policies in place. Although they cover most of the basics, many of these policies are dated and / or incomplete when it comes to everything that should be included. A good protection policy should be reviewed often. If churches don’t have the right expertise inhouse, it’s wise to consult experts in the area while developing policies. Miller: Even with policies in effect, many times background checks are only performed one time, prior to employment. Large churches can better their policies by writing in background checks on a more routine basis, depending on budget. Smith: Most large churches are aware that such a policy needs to be in place, and insurers even require it. They’re also aware of the risks of operating without one. CHURCH EXECUTIVE

As with any operating document, however, a child protection policy can easily be written and then shelved, rather than treated as a living document that needs to be updated, referred to, and followed. A lot of children’s ministry directors point to a lack of leadership support for abuse prevention efforts, or the raising of awareness of the risks in the church. No one wants to push people away or alienate volunteers, and there’s a perception that vocally supporting these efforts sends a negative message about the church. The reality is just the opposite: an effective abuse prevention policy is the No. 1 thing on a new family’s mind when they enter a church. D’Ambrosio: Although many churches have some elements of a written policy in place, they often lack a comprehensive program to minimize liability and protect children. A total-safety program for volunteers should include: up-to-date position descriptions; policies and procedures; background screening; reference-checking; supervision; and documented training and orientation. Churches must demonstrate due diligence. And the standard is high, since most public schools and secular organizations that offer children’s programs are already implementing these practices. Whatever a church establishes as its safety protocol, it has to be consistent and applied to everyone. Doty: In the Catholic Church, a written policy is extremely common; in other churches, perhaps not so much. Many non-denominational megachurches haven’t addressed this issue at all. Some denominations have policies in place for screening and for physical-environment safety, but enforce somewhat limited application. Obviously, churches with no policy are putting lives at risk every day; yet, many are unconvinced it’s an issue. Other churches with policies in place are focused primarily on avoiding liability if there is an issue. They actually look to see where they’re vulnerable and then enact policies to shore off those areas. (For example, if a church’s central body has no local control over how a congregation functions, that church might only have programs that apply to regional or area-wide gatherings.) In some cases, these programs are highly recommended; but the only mandate for prevention education that we’re aware of is the Catholic mandate in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Norris: Many churches have written policies that look like ‘War and Peace’ and aren’t truly followed. Policies are what you do, not what you say you do. When an allegation of sexual abuse results in civil litigation, both defense counsel and plaintiff’s counsel will immediately request the church’s policies. Policies demonstrate a church’s reasonable efforts to address the risk of child sexual abuse, but they’re only effective if applied. Often, church staff members and volunteers need to understand the ‘why’ of preventative protocols in order to adopt the ‘what,’ and that boils down to training. Intrinsically, you can’t address a risk that your staff members don’t understand. Q: What does a truly comprehensive screening and background check process look like as it relates to protecting children in the church? Miller: It includes using fingerprints for checks of FBI criminal history records; using fingerprints for state checks of criminal history records; checking the child abuse registry; and checking the sex offender registry. These checks should be done on a routine basis for both perspective and current employees. Personally, I believe most large-church clients try to do everything they can to protect children in their care. And although they often have 6

CHURCH EXECUTIVE

policies in place to protect children, they don’t always go far enough to ensure children will always be safe at church. The biggest area where churches are falling short are ratios and background checks for current employees. Because many faith-based centers are licensing-exempt, they don’t have to follow the ratio requirements other child care centers in the state must adhere to. So, church classrooms might have more students per teacher, making it harder on the staff. With regard to employee background checks, most church clients don’t do them routinely for current staff. They might do it preemployment; but, if an employee is charged with a crime during his or her employment, many employers will miss this. Smith: For a new volunteer, several elements make up an effective onboarding process. A background check is one of those things, but not enough on its own. You need to require a complete written application. Get references … and actually call them. Do a face-to-face interview. We also recommend a waiting period of 30 to 60 days, which lets you find out: Are they faithful? Are they regular attenders? Are they connected? A social media check is always important, too. So often, the challenge for churches in doing a truly comprehensive screening process is the cost. And it’s not even a one-time event; you should rescreen every 12 to 24 months. To share the burden, we suggest asking volunteers to pay for their own background check (usually between $10 and $20). I’ve never heard of anybody refusing. Finally, quite a bit can be accomplished by simply communicating your church won’t take a passive stance on abuse prevention. Make sure volunteers know you have a thorough screening process, and you’ll deter a lot of really bad behavior. D’Ambrosio: A thorough background screening must include social security verification, criminal records from jurisdictions in all 50 states, and the National Sex Offender Registry. If driving is part of the ministry role, then a motor vehicle report should also be included. Church leadership must first decide which criminal offenses would automatically disqualify someone from serving with children. For example, would a speeding ticket that happened 10 years ago prevent someone from working in the nursery? Also, establish which positions will require screening and which positions are exempt. The volunteer who makes reminder calls to your Sunday school teachers will not need the same level of screening as someone who works directly with the kids. Make sure your background check provider owns and maintains its data, and is Federal Credit Reporting Act (FRCA)-compliant. A good source provider pulls from multiple court registries to offer comprehensive search options. Large churches (like small ones) often bend the rules when it comes to safety. What’s required for a comprehensive risk management program is to identify what processes will accomplish eliminating or lowering your risks — then enforcing those processes, period. Being found negligent, just once, could result in financial damage your church or ministry couldn’t survive. Doty: A truly comprehensive screening and background check includes: a written application (for both staff and volunteer positions) that includes references for people who can talk about the person’s work with children; a face-to-face interview that includes reviewing policies, letting the person know about the monitoring practices, and making expectations and consequences of violations clear; a criminal background check that checks across the country for any wrongdoing that could compromise the person’s ability to work safely with children; and a written or electronic acknowledgement from the person that they read and understood practices and policies. churchexecutive.com

Some large Catholic Churches have found ways to complete this process even with large numbers of staff and volunteers. At one church, staff gleaned the names of all the HR professionals in the church membership and invited them to participate in a two-evening screening process. Those HR professionals took on applicants and conducted the interviews, checked references, and went through the policies and procedures. The entire group was screened in two days. When churches are committed to the process, they can find creative ways to accomplish it. Frasca: A truly comprehensive screening program contains not only background checks suited to geographic location and position being applied to, but also a detailed child safety training program. Additionally, the program should include a rescreening policy. Even in large churches, we find it’s actually quite common that not everything that can and should be done, is — simply because they’re unaware of all that entails. In a large majority of cases, we see churches lacking in the area of proper child safety training. Background screening will only catch those who have already been caught, or throw red flags that might identify discrepancies in one’s past. Child safety training teaches employees and volunteers how to spot signs of abuse or potential abuse. The first and most critical step in stopping abuse and protecting children is identifying when they’re at risk. Norris: Criminal background checks have become a standard of care; making a reasonable effort to access the past criminal history of an applicant. Because less than 10% of sexual abusers will encounter the criminal justice system, criminal background checks can’t be relied upon as a standalone screening system. An effective screening process utilizes forms and processes meant to elicit a high-risk response from applicants or references. Effective screening encourages an inappropriate applicant to ‘opt out’ during the screening process, before he or she has harmed a child. Q: What elements does a truly risk-averse, comprehensive child check-in / check-out process at a church look like? Miller: There should be a check-in and check-out process for Sunday school and an additional process for churches providing child care. While similar, each setting has different variables for success. Elements to consider are efficiency, technology barriers, safety, parent buy-in, and effectiveness. All the layers of a comprehensive plan might be in place; but if parents aren’t on board, the process won’t be effective. Again, this answer is different depending on the care that’s provided. Many churches have multiple points of entry that should be monitored for safety and security. For churches that provide child care throughout the week, do parents have to enter through one door? Are they able to do drive-thru drop-offs? How can staff accurately track check-in and out from vehicles? With today’s technology, the internet allows centers to track child check-in and check-out with mobile devices and systems that are more safe and secure than pen and paper. For ministry on Sunday, parents are typically on-site, and the need to update emergency contact information is different with the parents just down the hall. For churches providing child care, parents typically drop off children in the morning and can be reached through different methods throughout the day. Do parents prefer email or texting while at work, or do they always prefer a phone call? Technology has changed the way teachers and directors communicate with parents, and making sure you have a system that works for families in your church is crucial, especially in case of emergency.

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Smith: Having a secure children’s check-in process is a very important piece of the overall safety puzzle. In today’s environment, a good check-in process should significantly enhance security, be intuitive and easy to setup, provide quick access to important data, and not be limited to a hardware station. The process you implement must be one your staff, volunteers and parents can quickly understand, consistently use and easily follow. Looking at the check-in / check-out process as simply attendance tracking misses the point. Secure children’s check-in can also reduce the workload for children’s ministry leaders. Features such as parent-maintained accounts, Express Check-In (parents check in on smartphone), and broadcast text messaging and email can free up time and direct effort into building relationships with new and existing families. It’s the people behind the process that determine the ultimate success of the system. Without the proper implementation, training and ongoing support, little value will be added. Whether you have 50 or 3,000 children, the process should be scalable and seamless, with an emphasis on improving child safety. D’Ambrosio: Child check-in systems allow for accountability and give the staff an accurate census of who’s in the building. A lost child is most parents’ biggest fear — and for church children’s ministry workers, too. When designing a space for children’s ministry, be sure to have a single entry point. The access point should be staffed to authorize clearance for any adult who enters. Only adults who staff the program, and are identified with a photo ID badge, should be allowed to enter. Doors intended as exits should not allow reentry from outside. It’s also wise to have windows that open to the hallway or are built into each door for clear visibility. It’s best to have a consistent procedure and follow it regularly. Child safety standards (including check-in and check-out processes) should be observed anytime you have a church-sponsored event. This also helps parents embrace the policy and get in the habit of using it. Digital paging systems allow the parents to be contacted, at any time, for any reason. They enable parents to respond immediately when notified. Doty: The essential elements of a safe check-in / check-out program are: a sign-in sheet that includes the name of the child; the name and signature of the person checking in the child; the name and signature of the person who picks up the child; and the time for the check-in and check-out. Additionally, there should be some way to identify which child is which (example: name tags that include the number that corresponds to the number of the check-in / check-out sheet). Contact information for the responsible adult is also necessary — cell phone number or the number given the child and parents at check-in. In this case, that number can often be shown on the large video screens in the sanctuary as a way of letting parents know they’re needed in the nursery or children’s program. Additionally, you need a way to confirm the name of anyone with permission to take the child if it’s someone other than the person dropping off the child. — Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh

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R E Q U E S T A F R E E D E M O AT W W W. K I D C H E C K . C O M O R C A L L ( 8 5 5 ) K I D C H E C K

Child sexual abuse and the Church Featuring Kimberlee D. Norris, Esq. & Gregory S. Love, Esq.

Keeping the wolf out of the sheep’s pen A recent media headline — ‘Church Rocked by Sexual Abuse Allegations’ — stunned the congregation of a large mid-western church. Church leaders took hundreds of telephone calls from congregants, media representatives and advocacy groups. Social media coverage was immediate and savage, with posts assuming the worst possible motives attributable to church leaders. It was immediately clear that the church had no plan in place to address the risk of child sexual abuse, or an appropriate response to an allegation. Membership suffered. One year later, the church sold its property and moved to a much smaller location, where it continues to struggle. Churches and victims continue to experience the devastating impact of child sexual abuse. The Church and its children are increasingly endangered by sexual predators whose opportunity to ensnare children elsewhere is growing smaller, while the Church opens its doors to anyone. Conservative studies indicate that one out of four girls and one out of six boys will be sexually abused before reaching 18 years of age, regardless of spiritual or socio-economic demographics. The problem is growing, even in ministry environments. Increasingly, parents are asking, What are you doing to protect my child from sexual abuse? Churches must have an educated answer. You can’t address a risk that you don’t understand The single most important step a church can take is to train its people to understand the problem. The creation of safe environments for children requires training. When staff members and volunteers have an awareness of the characteristics and ‘grooming process’ of the sexual abuser, they are better-equipped to recognize and prevent abuse. Gregory Love and Kimberlee Norris have a nationwide sexual abuse litigation practice representing victims of sexual abuse, while offering consulting services to churches and Christian ministries. Because Love and Norris actually litigate child sexual abuse cases, their perspectives and training protocols are unique. 10

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“After years of litigating cases, we began to see recurring patterns in predatory behavior, and these patterns are predictable,” says Norris. “MinistrySafe grew out of our desire to get relevant information about sexual abuse and abusers into the hands of ministry professionals.” “There is no stand-alone safety protocol,” says Love. “We recommend a comprehensive safety system.” Love says it’s important to train church staff members to recognize risk before an allegation occurs, and to implement a comprehensive safety system proactively. 5 safety system elements for ministries 1) S exual Abuse Awareness Training equips church staff members and volunteers with a better understanding of the characteristics, grooming process and common grooming behaviors of sexual offenders. 2) Skillful Screening utilizes screening forms and processes meant to elicit a highrisk response from applicants, thereby keeping the wolf out of the sheep’s pen. 3) Appropriate Criminal Background Checks are no ‘silver bullet’, because less than 10% of sexual abusers will encounter the criminal justice system, ever. Background checks alone cannot eliminate risk but can be a helpful tool when used effectively. 4) T ailored Policies and Procedures illustrate a church’s reasonable efforts to address the risk of child sexual abuse. Policies should be succinct, understandable, and tailored to church programs. Remember, policies are what you do, not what you say you do. 5) Monitoring and Oversight requires a period review of safety system elements, evaluating new programs and addressing ongoing need for policy updates. Gregory S. Love, Esq. and Kimberlee D. Norris, Esq., have a nationwide sexual abuse litigation practice and serve as founders and directors of MinistrySafe https://ministrysafe.com/. Committed to sexual abuse awareness and prevention, MinistrySafe trains 9,00011,000 ministry personnel each month in an online format. Representative clients include the United States Olympic Committee, Awana International, Church of the Nazarene, Methodist Conferences, the Christian Camp and Conference Association, state Baptist associations, and many churches, schools, camps and ministries.

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Children Are Safer In MinistrySafe Churches

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WHY: Child sexual abuse occurs in all contexts. Increasingly, parents are asking, "What are you doing to protect my child from sexual abuse?" Sexual abuse claims carry massive financial consequences for ministries, and significantly impact public opinion.

WHO: Child sexual abuse is an equal opportunity employer: it crosses all spiritual paradigms and all demographics. Offenders seek access where the barriers to entry are the lowest. Unfortunately, this is often the church.

WHAT: MinistrySafe trains church personnel to effectively address the risk of child sexual abuse by utilizing the Five Part Safety System. From screening forms and tools, sample policies, online training and systems for monitoring and oversight, MinistrySafe provides turnkey resources to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse.

HOW: Churches pay an annual membership fee of $250 to gain access to state-of-the-art training, sample church policies, screening forms, and the MinistrySafe Control Panel. WHY MINISTRYSAFE: Created by sexual abuse trial attorneys with 20+ years experience litigating child sexual abuse cases, MinistrySafe provides tools and resources created by industry experts. www.MinistrySafe.com

LOVE & NORRIS, ATTORNEYS AT LAW: Gregory Love and Kimberlee Norris, co-founders and Directors of MinistrySafe, have a nationwide sexual abuse litigation practice representing victims of child sexual abuse. In addition, Love & Norris provide consulting services to secular and ministry organizations providing services to children. Representative clients include the United States Olympic Committee, Awana International, Sovereign Grace Ministries, the Church of the Nazarene, the Georgia Baptist Convention, and many church and para-church schools, camps, and ministries.

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In God We Trust All others must be screened. On November 27, 2016, police were called to a church in Timonium, Md., to investigate something no one thought would ever happen. The mother of a 4-year-old girl summoned police to report that her child was sexually abused by a volunteer who was working in the nursery during a Sunday morning worship service.

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The Baltimore County police reported that Terrence Smalls, a 26-year-old man, was arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a minor, seconddegree assault, child abuse in the second degree, and second-degree sexual offense. The shocking news of this investigation was that detectives learned that Smalls had been employed, or volunteered, at several locations in the community which put him in contact with children. Think this could never happen at your church? Think again. Consider these statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice: • Research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that approximately one in six boys and one in four girls are sexually abused before the age of 18 • 35.8% of sexual assaults occur when the victim is between the ages of 12 and 17 •O nly about 30% of sexual assault cases are reported to authorities

And from the Darkness To Light organization — a nonprofit committed to empowering adults to prevent child sexual abuse: • There are 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse in the U.S. • 90% of abused children know their abuser These statistics speak to the urgency of protecting kids. Safety must be a critical concern for children’s ministers today. And for good reason. God is all-trustworthy — but people and situations aren’t always to be trusted. Church safety is something for which the wise prepare. To wait until a crisis happens to create safety plans is too late. To believe that “this will never happen to us” is just too risky. To learn practical ways to keep your ministry safe, read this full article.

Visit Group.com/ShepherdsWatch or call 877-446-3247 for details. churchexecutive.com

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Engaging and working with the Millennial generation By Sara Miller

In 2016, the Pew Research Center found there were 75.4 million millennials in the United States. have posted on Facebook in the last day. If your child care business is looking to engage millennial parents, consider how they differentiate themselves in this new role compared to previous generations. Many parents with children in child care now fall into the millennial category, and connecting with these parents is crucial for success. Whether this means introducing new technology to your center so parents feel connected to their children throughout the day, or ensuring they feel that mobile payments in your center are secure, there are new obstacles for child care centers to overcome in order to win the business of millennial parents. Introducing new technology in child care can be a daunting task. Parents might be hesitant to trust a new system, and training staff can be time-consuming and overwhelming. There are systems on the market today to ease the pain and make the transition to a new management software system seamless.

A millennial is described as those born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. They are history’s first “always connected” generation. They are immersed in digital technology and social media, and they treat their hand-held devices almost like a body part. More than eight in 10 millennials say they sleep with a cell phone by the bed. Additionally, millennials are 2.5 times more likely to be early adopters of technology than previous generations, including the use of mobile payments. According to The Guardian, it is predicted that by 2025, as many as 75% of all transactions will be made without cash. With close to 5 billion global mobile users, there is a huge opportunity for mobile payments, especially in child care centers, many of which only allow cash and check payments currently. Many centers are afraid of new technology and question whether they are ready for mobile payments and automation. If not now, when? Among the older half of millennials, those between ages 25-34, there are now 10.8 million households with children. Millennials are the most transparent generation ever, and they continue to remain heavily connected online even after they become parents. More than 35% of millennial parents claim to 16

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SmartCare and ChildCare Manager joined forces in early 2016, positioning themselves as the leader in child care management software with outstanding products for the child care industry. With decades of experience from ChildCare Manager and innovative technology from SmartCare, the company has a solution for child care centers of all sizes. SmartCare’s product is focused on modern mobile and web solutions that connect child care center owners, directors, teachers and parents in real-time. It has all the features of child care management software, but with a modern twist. These apps offer child care centers secure sign-in and sign-out, automated billing, payment processing, mobile payments and parent communication — including photos and videos sent in real-time. SmartCare can provide in-person onboarding and support to make sure every center feels completely comfortable with all aspects of the software. This way, all staff and parents have confidence in the system and understand how to access every feature. As a pioneering force in child care management and accounting software since 1985, ChildCare Manager offers a desktop software solution that streamlines center administration, management, and record-keeping. More than 25,000 child care professionals have chosen ChildCare Manager to simplify the management of their child care centers, preschools, and before / after school programs. With the tools available to child care centers today, there is no reason introducing new technology should be a concern. Allowing parents to access these new tools will increase their sense of security, help them stay connected throughout the day, and allow them to make payments on-the-go. These positive elements will help millennial parents feel connected to their child care center and make them want to share their experience with others. Sara Miller is Director of Marketing at SmartCare www.smartcare.com in Las Vegas, Nev. Footnotes have been omitted.

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BE AWARE

& PROACTIVE Two esteemed attorneys and industry experts discuss the preeminent problem of child sexual abuse — and what every church leader can do to protect the children in their care

Kimberlee D. Norris & Gregory S. Love Child sexual abuse trial attorneys at Love + Norris in Fort Worth, Texas, and co-founders of MinistrySafe Q: Just how big is the issue of sexual abuse in churches? Norris: Every study in the past decade indicates the same reality: the largest settlements being paid by insurers in church or ministry contexts are related to child sexual abuse. It’s the only realm in which statutes of limitation are getting longer, not shorter. In California, for instance, a 76-year-old man sued his church related to events occurring when he was between 8 and 11 years of age. Some states have abolished statute of limitation altogether. Moreover, very few states have any sort of tort reform or limitation on damages or monetary awards that stem from a child sexual abuse case. So, for churches, sexual abuse is a significant, long-term risk. Q: But why churches? They don’t seem like obvious targets … Love: Offenders go where the barriers are lowest, and churches often embrace two misconceptions: stranger danger (the idea that this risk manifests from the outside in) and a big, pervasive cloud of “That type of thing doesn’t happen here.” Also, churches don’t have licensure requirements, which means protective elements related to child sexual abuse aren’t required by governmental authorities as a condition of licensure. Q: OK, so it’s a big problem. What can a church do to protect its kids — and itself — when screening? Norris: Churches should require an application, interview and references for employees and volunteers, all of which must include questions meant to elicit a high-risk response from the applicant. Years of offenders studies targeting male and female offender characteristics should frame the questions asked in an effective screening process. Screening personnel should be training to recognize RISK INDICATORS when they encounter them. 18

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Opt-out opportunities should be given throughout the screening process, allowing an applicant with the wrong motives the opportunity to ‘self-select out.’ Screeners should look for a pattern of interacting with the same age range and gender of child, kid-magnet activities or hobbies, vague reasons for leaving the last place of service, and failure to provide names and contact information of past supervisors, for example. References should be asked: “How long have you known the applicant?” Preferential offenders have a difficult time giving you references who’ve known them for a long time, especially in child-serving contexts. As well, “Would you feel comfortable leaving your own children in the applicant’s care?” It is our recommendation that references be checked by telephone, rather than in writing, because references will SAY things they would never write down. Q: What about criminal background checks? Norris: While it’s true that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, churches should understand what a criminal background check does — and doesn’t — do for you. Less than 10% of sexual predators will encounter the criminal justice system; in a study published last year by the Department of Justice, it was less than 3%. Two out of three kids don’t disclose abuse until they’re adults, if ever. As a result, criminal background checks are not a silver bullet, or a stand-alone screening process. Because there’s no one-size-fits-all criminal background check, be prepared to spend more money, premised upon the level of interaction a candidate has with kids, and the degree to which that interaction is less structured. And, at a minimum, refresh criminal background checks every five years.

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Q: What are “grooming behaviors,” and why should church leaders and volunteers know them? Love: The grooming process of an offender is known, validated and understandable. Offenders ‘groom’ a child for abuse: gaining access to children who are the offender’s age and gender of preference, selecting a specific child, introducing nudity and sexual touch, then keeping the child silent. This process is recognizable, and church staff members and volunteers should be familiar with the process and how it might play out in ministry contexts. As well, staff members should be trained to recognize common grooming behaviors, and these behaviors should be addressed in policies and procedures. Common grooming behaviors include, for example, giving children gifts, privileges, access to activities — this is one behavior which must be addressed in your policy. For kids who have actual needs (school supplies, a warm coat, new shoes), these should be a gift from the ministry, not from an individual. Even if one person is the primary financial source for that provision, the child should never know who. Another common grooming behavior is barrier testing and erosion — touchy behavior, pushing physical boundaries. Churches must communicate what is and isn’t appropriate physical affection in the context of their program. For example, in 23 years, every case I’ve ever encountered of male-to-male predatory behavior has involved wrestling, in some form or another. With younger kids, it’s tickling, or lap-sitting with a child who’s too old to be sitting on an adult’s lap. What preferential offenders are looking for is trusted time alone. That means churches should have a two-adult rule in place and, at minimum, a mandate that prohibits one-to-one, unsupervised, unstructured interaction between an adult and a child in your program. Kimberlee D. Norris provides legal counsel through the law firm of Love & Norris www.lovenorris.com, where she serves as shareholder and partner. Through MinistrySafe http://ministrysafe.com and Abuse Prevention Systems, she has trained more than 450,000 ministry staff members and volunteers since 2005.

Child check-in systems: not a ‘silver bullet’ By Gregory S. Love A child check-in system at your church is valuable — but not for protecting children from child sexual abuse. To understand what I mean, it’s important to understand the difference between two types of sex offenders: the abduction offender and the preferential offender. To the extent a child check-in system has value, it’s in the protection of children from an abduction offender. In reality, the abduction offender represents a mere 4% of the sexual abuse problem. Rather, the risk posed by the preferential offender is the problem. In fact, the preferential offender represents 90%-94% of the problem of child sexual abuse. The preferential offender is the risk that’s rocking ministries, and it’s not addressed by a check-in system. This is consistent with the statistic that 90% of children are victimized by someone they know and trust — not a stranger. In all fairness to the check-in system, it was simply not designed to address the risk of child sexual abuse. Additionally, the child check-in system provides no protection for peer-to-peer sexual abuse, one of the fastest-growing areas of sexual abuse risk. Gregory S. Love is a recognized expert in legal standards of care related to child sexual abuse, providing crisis response to ministries and churches nationwide as a partner of the law firm Love & Norris www.lovenorris.com and co-founder of MinistrySafe www.MinistrySafe.com. Love also serves as visiting faculty to Dallas Theological Seminary, and as a core instructor for MinistrySafe Institute MinistrySafeInstitute.com, providing seminary-level instruction to ministry professionals.

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