Presenter: Lexanne Graves, Pinnacle Associate
Location - TBD, Columbia, SC
Cost: $50
Ensuring the safety and security of our children and youth is paramount to fostering a thriving and trustworthy faith community. This workshop directly addresses this by focusing on the development and implementation of effective Child/Youth Protection Policies. It begins by asking: 'Does our church/faith community have a Child/Youth Protection Policy with annual trainings for adult staff and volunteers?' This isn't just about compliance; it's about proactively mitigating risks, building trust with families, and demonstrating our unwavering commitment to the vulnerable members of our community. This training will guide leaders through the process of creating a context-specific policy and provide actionable steps and outlines for putting it into practice, ultimately strengthening our ability to protect and nurture our young people. Without a clear and consistently enforced Child/Youth Protection Policy and regular training, your faith community risks failing to adequately protect vulnerable individuals, potentially leading to harm and eroding the trust of families and the wider community.
Anticipated Outcomes for Participants:
Educate participants about facts of child sexual abuse and understand the risks
Focus on ways to minimize the risks specific to one’s context
Provide multiple resources on creating one’s policy
Discuss trainings and screenings needed and how to handle reporting child sexual abuse
Craft an outline for one’s policy