Helping students to write a better story
How We Keep Students
SAFE
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me." -Matthew 25:40
HANGOUT AREAS
A "hangout area" is a room or space in which everyone in the room can see one another. In any given Hangout Area, two fully approved Volunteers must be present, and the ratio of children to volunteers never exceeds 12 to 1.
All doors in Hangout areas have windows or are left open.
In other words, no adult will ever be alone with a child. There are no private areas.
VOLUNTEERS
All Volunteers must apply and be approved by the Executive Director prior to serving. All volunteers are vetted with a State Police background check, which is renewed every 2 years. Additionally, all volunteers receive training in our Child Protection Policy, as well as Sexual Abuse Awareness.
Volunteers are trained to avoid behaviors that could be misinterpreted or confusing to children. For this reason, we encourage volunteers to give side-hug, high fives, and hand shakes.
Direct Volunteer-to-Child giving, inappropriate touching, rule-breaking, secret-keeping, and other "grooming" behaviors are strictly forbidden.
FIRST AID
First Aid supplies are available on all floors.
An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is located on the main floor entry way. Several volunteers are trained on first aid and use of an AED.
SECURITY
Our Security Team patrols the grounds outside and inside the entire building during Attic After School.
Why do we value safety?
We believe that Attic After School should be a safe place for teenagers.
Loving God, loving His Word, loving one another, and loving our Students means that we must follow God's commands to protect the vulnerable and not tolerate abuse or oppression of any kind.
NEVER ALONE
No adult is ever alone with a child
Our Ministry programs and facilities are designed around the principle that no volunteer or other adult will ever be left alone with children without the supervision of other volunteers.
NEVER A SECRET
We are committed to transparency
We train and vet our volunteers so that no one will ever say "Don't tell your parents," or "This is between us." In the same way, if there is an incident (or suspicion of an incident), we are committed to personal and institutional transparency.
NEVER A HINT
Our relationships should be healthy and pure
God instructs our relationships to be pure, and free from "even the hint of sexual immorality." This means that dirty jokes, inappropriate touching, and rule-breaking have no place at Attic.