Safety and Security

We are glad you have chosen Kiokee as the place where you and your family will worship. It is our desire that you encounter our Great God each time you attend one of our ministries or Worship Services. As a parent, we understand that in order for you to be able to fellowship with other believers and fully focus on the teaching of God’s Word, you have to feel good about leaving your child in our Preschool. A parent who knows that their child is in a safe and secure environment where the love of Jesus is not only being taught, but also modeled, will in turn be able to focus on their worship of the Lord Jesus. It is our goal to provide such an environment for your preschooler each week.

In order to ensure that our preschoolers are safe and secure each time they attend our ministry, we abide by the following safety and security guidelines.
For a downloadable file please click here.

1. We ask that all Preschool volunteers and leaders be regular attendees or members of Kiokee for at least six months prior to serving in our Preschool Ministry. In addition, any person desiring to serve in a key leadership role (such as Sunday School Teacher, Preschool Facilitator, or Cornerstone Preschool Coordinator) must submit to a state background check.
   
   
2. Two adult (18 Years or older) teachers / volunteers must be present with children at all times. A child is never to be left alone in the presence of one adult. This provides safety for both the child and the adult.
   
   
3. Our 0-6 month and 6-12 month Baby Rooms may only be staffed by volunteers and adults who are 18 years of age and older.
   
   
4. Students who are 12 years of age or older are allowed to serve with 2 adults in the 2 and 3 Year old classrooms. Students are not allowed to pick up or hold children while serving in the Preschool classrooms.
   
   
5. Paid workers are used to provide care as well as teach our preschoolers on Sunday mornings during the First Worship Service, Sunday evenings during the Worship Service and on Wednesday evenings during Discipleship Classes. All paid workers must be at least 18 years of age and must pass background checks before employment.
   
   
6. Each child is provided a nametag and matching security card. When a child is dropped off at a Preschool classroom by their parent, the teacher clips the nametag to the child’s clothing and the parent takes the matching security card. Children will only be released to their parents, a designated adult who has the security card or a sibling at least 16 years of age who has the security card.
   
   
7. When dropping off or picking up children, parents are asked to knock on the door and wait outside the classroom for the teacher to take or bring them their child. Allowing the teacher to take your child in the class without you helps us quickly get their attention onto something else, which often makes the transition easier for both the parent and the child. When adults do not enter the classroom, it also helps to keep children who are already in the classroom from becoming upset. Often when a crying child sees an adult come into the room, they automatically assume it is time for their parents, which can cause them to become more upset. Knocking on the door also helps us to keep our classroom doors closed so that none of our preschoolers can wander out into the hallway.
   
   
8. In the event that a child is extremely upset and we are unable to console them, a parent will be paged unless they have requested that we work with their child for a longer period of time in order to help them adjust to separating from their parents. Our general policy is not to allow a child to cry without stopping for a period of more than 10 minutes without paging a parent. (For ideas on helping your child adjust to being in a Preschool class, see Making Church a Good Place for You and Your Child.)
   
   
9. Sometimes a child can become upset when family members or friends “look in” our classroom windows to see how the child is doing. This is especially true if a child is experiencing separation anxiety. To help our preschoolers feel secure, all Preschool doors have observation windows that are tinted so adults can see into the rooms, but the children cannot see out of the windows. Children who are experiencing separation anxiety typically watch the door hoping to spot their mom or dad. When they look at the door, they will only see a reflection of themselves, which helps them keep their mind off of missing their parents and focus on what is being taught. Although the windows are tinted, children may still see shadows through the glass. Therefore, we ask that parents take a quick peek at their child and move on as quickly as possible.
   
   
10. We ask that only the parent or designated adult who will be dropping off or picking up a child walk through our main Preschool hallway. This ensures that we have only the people who should be around our preschoolers in direct contact with our Preschool classrooms.
    
    
11. When preschoolers (ages 18 mo. – 3 yrs.) attend Cornerstone Worship, they are transitioned to the Cornerstone Room (B103) by at least 2 adults as well as student leaders. Preschoolers hold on to a rope to ensure that they stay with their leaders and make it safely to and from the Cornerstone Worship room.
    
    
12. We ask that all parents of preschoolers be familiar with our food and feeding information found on the Nursing Mothers, Bottles, and Snacks page.
    
    
13. We ask that all parents be familiar with our Health and Wellness policy.