Nursery Ministry

1. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old in order to comply with the church’s insurance coverage and liability.

2. Volunteers must comply with a background check.

3. Volunteers in the nursery must be a member of New Horizon Baptist Church in good standing. If at any time the volunteer falls under church discipline, their service will be suspended until the matter is resolved.

4. It is expected that volunteers be active members of the church and active in their own personal faith. In order to be an overflowing cup, ready to pour out into the children in our nursery ministry, volunteers should be regularly attending service when not on the rotation for the nursery. We also hope that volunteers are pursuing a healthy personal prayer life and devotional life, engaging with the Word of God on their own.

5. While in the nursery, we ask that volunteers please refrain from being on their personal electronic devices. Our mission and purpose in the nursery requires our active engagement with the children placed in our care.

6. Any conflicts should be handled in a biblical manner as exemplified in Matthew 18:15-17.

7. We hope and expect nursery volunteers to try and participate in any additional training as deemed necessary by the nursery director, associate pastor to students, or senior pastor.

8. It’s important that any and all volunteers in the nursery be willing to follow the policies and guidelines pertaining to the nursery.

1. Nursery facilities will open to receive children ages 0 to 4 years old approximately 15 minutes prior to church services or other church events where nursery care is offered. Once service or the event has ended, we ask that parents please come and receive their children promptly to ensure nursery volunteers have time to tidy the room in preparation of the weekly cleaning and rejoin the congregation for fellowship.

2. Promotion/Aging up will be done according to the children’s ministry promotion calendar. Once a child reaches 5 years old, the following August, they will be transitioned to children's church or may attend service with their caregivers/parents. Once children reach age 5 and have transitioned to children’s church or service, we ask that they are not dropped off in the nursery.

3. For the safety and security of the children, the doors to the nursery will be locked. Before, during, and after service only nursery volunteers will open the doors to the rooms to allow children to enter and exit. We ask that no caregivers or older siblings enter the nursery while it is in operation to limit the flow of traffic in and out of the rooms and to ensure all children remain in the room unless they’re being picked up.

4. All children in the nursery will receive a numbered tag (placed on the back of their shirt) corresponding to a numbered stub given to the child’s caregiver. The child may only be released to the individual with the matching numbered tag (adult caregivers may use their discretion if they would like an older sibling to receive their child, but they still must have the appropriate tag).

5. In order to ensure the safety of the children in the nursery and protect the liability of the church and nursery volunteers, no child shall be left unattended in the nursery rooms at any time. Furthermore, all volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and have completed a background check through the church office.

6. The nursery will be staffed by at least 2 unrelated adult volunteers and the ratio of volunteers to children will be a maximum of 1:6. If this ratio is met, the second nursery will be opened and 2 additional volunteers will be added.

7. Supplies and equipment for the nursery should not be added or removed without consulting the nursery director. The supplies and equipment in the nursery rooms (snacks, juice, toys, etc.) is solely for the use of the nursery in service to the children. We ask that volunteers refrain from partaking in snacks and juices purchased for the nursery. Additionally, no outside food should be brought into the nursery to ensure no allergens are introduced to the rooms. Drinks brought by volunteers must have a lid and be placed out of reach of the children.

1. For the protection of the nursery volunteers and other children, we request that parents not drop off any children who appear to be ill or exhibit any of the following symptoms:

a. Runny nose
b. Fever over 99.6 degrees fahrenheit in the past 24 hours
c. Diarrhea or vomiting at any point the past 24 hours
d. Wet cough
e. Unexplained rash
f. Eye infection
g. Skin infection (such as boils, hand/foot/mouth disease, ringworm, chicken pox, etc)
h. Presence of lice or treatment of lice in the past 24 hours

2. Caregivers will be notified if a child develops any of these symptoms during their time in the nursery. It is advised that any symptoms developed by children within 24 hours after their time in the nursery be reported to the nursery director or a volunteer so that other caregivers may be notified. If a child begins exhibiting symptoms during their time in the nursery, the caregiver will be contacted to come and receive the sick child.

3. Nursery volunteers should be notified of any allergies or special needs by a caregiver when the child is dropped off. They will be noted on the nursery whiteboard. If no allergies or instructions are given, we encourage volunteers to double check with the caregiver before they leave.

4. No oral medications will be given to children in the nursery except by that child’s caregiver. All medications shall remain in the caregiver’s possession.

5. If a child is injured in the nursery, volunteers must contact the nursery director immediately and complete an incident report. Caregivers will be informed of any minor injuries such as small bumps, scrapes, or bruises upon receiving their child. In the event of a serious injury, caregivers will be contacted immediately. Emergencies will result in contacting emergency services via 911 followed by immediately contacting the caregiver and nursery director.

6. Nursery volunteers are required to wash their hands upon arrival to the nursery and encouraged to sanitize their hands:

a. Before serving snacks or juice
b. Before and after bottle feeding infants
c. After using or helping a child use the restroom
d. After every diaper change
e. After contact with bodily fluids

7. Children should wash or sanitize their hands:

a. After using the restroom
b. Before and after eating snacks
c. After any contact with bodily fluids

8. While many children may be teething, nursery volunteers should do their best to prevent children from putting toys or the volunteers hands in their mouths to prevent the spread of disease.

9. Personal items belonging to children entering the nursery are requested to be labeled with the child’s name (i.e. bags, sippy cups, bottles)

10. Once all children have been received by their caregivers, nursery volunteers should follow the nursery cleanup protocol posted in the interior of the tall cabinet.

1. Nursery volunteers should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the beginning of church service. The room should be cleaned and ready to receive children prior to their arrival.

2. Once both volunteers are present, children may be received into the nursery room. Upon arrival, parents must check in their children with a nursery volunteer. The parents will fill out the name tag(s) for their children while the volunteers hang up and document the children’s name(s) and any special instructions or allergies on the nursery whiteboard. Parents will keep the numbered pick-up stub that matches their children and the completed nametag will be placed on the child's back to prevent it being removed/lost.

3. During service, volunteers should be up and playing with children as well as monitoring the room for safety. While conversation and fellowship are encouraged, please remember that a volunteer’s primary purpose in the nursery is to interact with the children, to play with them and encourage them to have fun, and to ensure their safety.

4. Once service has ended, parents will be coming to retrieve their children. One volunteer should be handling the pick-up process while the other monitors the remaining children and begins tidying the room.

5. Parents must show the corresponding numbered stub to pick up their child.

6. Once all children have been returned to their parents, volunteers should quickly reset the room by placing all used small toys into the “dirty toys” bin so that they can be sanitized and throwing away any trash. After the quick reset, it's recommended to do a final check of the room to make sure any personal belongings have been picked up. Unclaimed items not belonging in the nursery can be placed in the lost and found bin.

7. The last volunteer out of the room should turn off the lights in both rooms, the doors may remain open.

We recognize the immense privilege and blessing we are given in the opportunity to partner with parents and caregivers in laying the foundations of faith in the lives of our church’s children. We also want to acknowledge your importance as children’s primary teachers. We thank you for entrusting us with the care and discipleship of your little ones, even in the short moments we are blessed to have them.

One way in which caregivers can help our nursery function well and help ensure our volunteers are well-equipped to care for their children is by reading and familiarizing themselves with the nursery policies and guidelines. This handbook has been thoughtfully curated based on our church’s desire to provide a safe, secure environment for discipleship for your children.

Before coming to church:

1. Remember to label items such as sippy cups, bottles, pacifiers, etc with your child’s name.

2. Toilet training toddlers should be sent with a change of clothing. Please inform volunteers if your child is currently potty training so we can offer them many opportunities to use the restroom and avoid accidents.

3. Leave personal toys at home if possible. Exceptions would be security blankets or stuffed animals.

When arriving to the nursery:

1. Give nursery volunteers any necessary information about your child such as allergies, special mental or physical needs important to their care, whether they’re potty training, if they have a bottle/sippy cup in their bag, etc.

2. Fill out the name tag provided for your child’s security before leaving and ensure you keep the corresponding stub which is required at pick-up.

3. For the security of all of the children present in the nursery, please refrain from entering the room. Your child and any of their belongings will be received at the door.

4. After a quick, reassuring goodbye (letting your child know you will be back to pick them up), prompt departures are recommended to help with any separation anxiety. If your child is inconsolable or experiences prolonged anxiety, a nursery volunteer will contact you to let you know.

At pick up:

1. Please make sure the individual picking up your child has the numbered stub corresponding to your child’s name tag.

2. Double check your child has all of the items they were dropped off with (the nursery volunteers will be doing that as well)

3. As with drop off, please refrain from entering the nursery room or allowing siblings to enter the room so that there’s minimal foot traffic and all children can be safely returned to their caregivers.