Calvary Chapel of Bellmawr

Nursery Guidelines

Initial Sign-up as a Nursery Volunteer:

1. All children’s ministry volunteers are required to submit the following: A completed Children’s Ministry Application AND a completed Background Check Release Form.

2. All volunteers will need to have a photo taken for an ID badge which will need to be worn while serving in the nursery.

Responsibility as a Nursery Volunteer:

It is NECESSARY to have the proper coverage in the nursery at all times. Both the church and the parents of children in the nursery rely on us to take care of these little ones during church services. If you are unable to serve for a service for which you have been scheduled, you must find a fill-in. Once you have secured a fill-in, please notify Carolyn Nevshehirlian of this change. You can either swap services with someone else on the schedule or you can call one of the fill-ins listed on the contact sheet. If you have exhausted all resources and cannot find a replacement, please call Karen or Carolyn. Please do not let your scheduled time slot go uncovered.

Please be sure you always have a current copy of the schedule and contact list on hand. Although reminder phone calls are made and emails are sent, it is your responsibility to know when you are scheduled to serve in the nursery. Schedules are available in the following ways: via email, church website http://www3.calvarychapel.com/bellmawr/, at church in the bins outside the nursery door and outside the sanctuary.

Duties in the Nursery:

1. Please report to the nursery 10 minutes prior to the start of the service time for which you are scheduled. At the end of the service please plan to stay in the nursery an additional 10-15 minutes to clean-up and to ensure that the volunteers for the next service have arrived.

2. All toys and furniture are to be wiped down after each service using the solution in the spray bottles and paper towels provided in the nursery.

3. After each service, please tie up the trash bag and leave it by the door at the end of the hall by the emergency exit. Please replace the trash bag.

4. Changing diapers as necessary is a responsibility of nursery volunteers. Soiled diapers should be changed prior to parents picking up their child. Please be aware of diapers that need changing.

5. Mark each child’s cup/bottle with his/her name on a piece of masking tape.

Duties Continued:

6. Each diaper bag should have an ID Tag. If you find a bag without a tag, please use one of the tags provided in the nursery. The tag should simply have the child’s name on it and should be attached to the bag handle.

7. A snack may be given to the older children in the nursery. The only snack provided and allowed in the nursery is Plain Cheerios. No other food is permitted due to concern for choking and allergies. Please make sure all sippee cups are up on a shelf when not being used. Due to milk/juice allergies we need to be sure that children are not drinking from each other’s cups.

Sign-In/Sign-Out:

1. Due to limited space, when parents are dropping off a child please ask parents to hand child through the door with the child’s bag/coat. If the child is distressed, please ask one parent to come in with the child and stay until the child is calm enough to be left in the nursery. (A helpful tip to give parents: if a child continually has trouble coming into the nursery, ask the parents to try to arrive earlier to allow the child to enter the nursery when there are fewer children in there and hopefully the child will feel less intimidated/overwhelmed by the situation.)

2. When signing a child into the nursery, please use the sign-in sheet on the clip board. Note the child’s name, parent’s name and any special instructions. You can list multiple children from one family on one line. Mark each child’s cup/bottle with his/her name on a piece of masking tape.

3. When a parent drops off a child, that parent receives a numbered bracelet which corresponds with the number on the sign in sheet. Hang the child’s belongings on the hook that corresponds with that number. We MUST receive the bracelet back at the time the parent is picking up the child. Return all belongings to the parent as well.

4. It is very important to note that children should only be handed over to his/her parents/guardians or trusted family member (with the return of the bracelet). The little ones in the nursery are so cute and fun to hold, but at no time should any other person be taking children from the nursery, even if the intention is to take the child to the parent.

5. New families need to fill out a Child Information Card which we keep in the nursery. These cards are kept in alphabetical order in the small box on the shelf. Please be sure these new families receive an “Information for Parents of Children in the Nursery” sheet which is kept in the bin on the wall outside the door.

Safety

1. Please make sure that the swing is only being used for real babies,,,not baby dolls or older children.  In the past we have allowed children to put the baby dolls in it and play with it.  However, due to the increasing number of little babies in the nursery and the need to keep them happy, we must keep the older children from playing with it.  Batteries can be expensive and we want the swing to be working properly when we need it.

2. The rocking chairs/gliders in the nursery are to be used only by the Nursery Volunteers and not as toys for the children. It has been observed that the rocking chairs can be dangerous for children to play on. Please make sure that the children are not playing on the rockers and are only playing with the toys provided in the nursery.

Other Important Issues

1. Volunteers under the age of sixteen are not permitted to hold babies unless the volunteer is a certified babysitter. There is a babysitting certification course offered by the Camden County Red Cross. Go to www.camdenredcross.org and click on "class registration" and go to the current year’s class schedule.

2. Only Scheduled volunteers are permitted in the nursery during services.

3. The nursery is set-up and equipped for children up to 3 years old. Children age 3 and up should be placed in the age appropriate class.

4. Specifically for new families utilizing the nursery for the first few times, please reassure the parents that we do our best to calm a crying child, but will come and get them if we are unable to soothe their child within a short period of time (approx. 10 minutes). For this reason, be sure to ask these parents to sit in the back of the church or along the windows if possible.

5. Please try to discourage teens or anyone else from hanging out inside the nursery and in the doorway of the nursery. This can be a distraction to the children in the nursery and may cause upset and crying. Also, space is so limited and we need to keep the paths clear for nursery volunteers and for parents coming and going from the nursery.

6. While donations are greatly appreciated, ALL donations of any kind to the nursery should be arranged in advance with Karen Acton or Carolyn Nevshehirlian. It is important that the nursery stay safe and clutter free for the children and volunteers who are in the room.