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AZSDAKids Children’s Ministries Recommended Guidelines:

As individuals and families prepare to return to places of worship, the Arizona Conference Children’s Ministries Department has developed a suggested guide for leaders and churches. This is only a suggested guide, it is NOT a COMPLETE guide for ALL churches, nor is it MANDATORY nor is it REQUIRED. Please consult your Church Board and/or Pastor for guidelines specific to your local congregation.

PREPARING YOUR CHILDREN’S SABBATH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS

  1. Deep clean your entire classroom. Where will germs be transferred? Consider shampooing carpets, sanitizing chairs, bathrooms, doorknobs, light switches, and audio/visual equipment.
  2. Use chemicals and disinfectants as directed and allow for the proper dry times. Here is a list of approved disinfectants for COVID-19 – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html
  3. Pay attention to the preschool and children’s areas. Consider removing everything nonessential from the room to limit surfaces for potential contamination and do a thorough cleaning in between uses.
  4. Post signs about not shaking hands and doing non-contact greetings. You can promote the hashtag #itsoktosmileandwave
  5. Consider placing some kind of “indicators” in your classrooms to ensure social distancing. Tape, remove chairs, use cones, etc. to indicate the distance needed.
  6. Tell your families through flyers on the doors, email, and social media about how you’ve prepared the classroom for their kids’ arrival. Be sure to use the words “clean, safe, and mindful of health needs and issues in preparation for a non-touch experience” or something similar. Also say that if they are sick, then they should not be present and can join online instead.

CHILDREN’S DIVISIONS AND CHILDCARE

  1. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children 2 years of age and under do not wear masks or face coverings. Please keep this in mind as you make decisions.
  2. Here is a good rule of thumb: If you wear a mask, it’s too soon to have your preschool and children areas open. Masks may scare the childre
  3. Limit leaders in the preschool and children’s areas to those who do not have pre-existing conditions. Also limit leaders to those under 65 years old.
  4. Have extra volunteers to help in the Children’s Sabbath School Divisions where some children may suffer from separation anxiety after only being with parents for a long time.
  5. Have only one person handle child check in stations and do not pass the check-in device.
  6. Do not let parents into the classroom, instead have them drop their kids off at the door.
  7. Have a check list of what’s been cleaned and when in each room.
  8. Develop a list of procedures for your volunteers. Train them on this list through Zoom prior to the first meeting.