The Foursquare Church is committed to protecting and releasing in our children the calling God has placed on their lives. We look to 1 Thessalonians 5:23 as a guide: “… may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete …” (NASB). We have been charged by God with the responsibility of protecting each child’s spirit, soul, and body; we will do everything possible to fulfill that charge.

We are committed to creating a safe and nurturing environment that fosters spiritual, emotional, and physical health for all children who participate in our ministries. We are also committed to protecting staff members and volunteers from unwarranted accusations. To that end, all staff members and volunteers who work with our children must abide by this Foursquare “Child and Youth Protection Code of Conduct.”

Please read the following guidelines and then check EACH box below to indicate your agreement to abide by this code of conduct.

Appropriate Verbal Interactions:
• Positively reinforcing children
• Telling clean, positive, light hearted jokes
• Encouraging children
•Praising children
Inappropriate Verbal Interactions:
• Calling children derogatory names
• Discussing sexual encounters or in any way involving children in personal problems or issues of staff members/volunteers
• Sharing secrets with children
• Cursing
• Telling offensive, vulgar, or sexually oriented jokes
• Complimenting a child on his or her physique or body development
• Shaming
• Belittling
• Making derogatory remarks, including but not limited to derogatory remarks about the child, the child’s family or ethnic background
• Using harsh language that may frighten, threaten, or humiliate children

Appropriate Physical Interactions:
• Pats on the back, arm, or shoulder
• Side hugs
• Shoulder to shoulder, “temple” or “A-frame” hugs
• Handshakes
• “High fives” and hand slapping
• Touching hand, face, shoulder, arm
• Arms around shoulders
• Holding hands (with young children)
• Soothing infants
• Sitting beside a child
• Sitting with a small child on adult’s legs

Inappropriate Physical Interactions:
• Any form of affection that is unwanted by the child or the staff member/volunteer
• Any physical activity that is, or could be perceived by another to be, sexually stimulating to the adult or the child
• Full frontal hugs except when holding infants
• Kisses on the mouth
• Kisses of any kind that are unwanted by the child
• Touching chests or anywhere below the waist
• Showing affection in isolated locations such as closets, remote hallways, staff-only areas, or other private rooms
• Staff member/volunteer sleeping in bed with a child
• Wrestling with children
• Piggyback rides
• Tickling
• Allowing a child to cling to the leg of a staff member/volunteer
• Holding a child on a staff member/volunteer’s lap so the child is straddled over private areas
• Massage given by a child to a staff member/volunteer
• Massage given by a staff member/volunteer to a child 

It is important that program directors, staff members and volunteers make sure that each child clearly understands behavior expectations.

It is essential that program directors ensure that each staff member and volunteer understands appropriate and inappropriate corrective measures and that children may never be punished because of bladder or bowel “accidents” nor because of vomiting or other manifestations of illness.

Always remember, correction is not punishment. Rather it is an opportunity to teach a child a better way to behave while stopping inappropriate behavior. Make an effort to praise good behavior the child displays.

The staff member/volunteer must remain calm at all times when correcting a child.

When correction is necessary, the following guidelines apply.

Appropriate Correction Options
• Talking with the child about what behavior would have been more appropriate. Explain natural consequences to inappropriate behavior.
• Assigning a period of time away from the other children. If the offense is repeated, place the child away from the group in a way that avoids public humiliation for approximately one minute per year of age, not to exceed five minutes.
• Calling for assistance in the case of persistent misbehavior, e.g., the program director, counselors, and/or pastors. The person called upon for assistance may contact the child’s parent/guardian or sit with the child until the misbehavior subsides or for the duration of the Foursquare activity.
• Intervention to protect a child from harm or risk of being harmed.

Inappropriate Correction Options
• Using condemning language or tone
• Employing corporal punishment: includes shaking, hitting, spanking, slapping, shoving
• Threatening to use corporal punishment
• Engaging in name calling, shaming, degrading or derogatory remarks, ostracism
• Biting, pinching, hair- and/or ear pulling
• Withholding food/water, or medical care
• Using mechanical or unnecessary physical restraints
• Isolating a child in a small, confined, and/or dark place
• Imposing physical exercise as a punishment