The Safe Church Committee worked hard for almost two years on policies and procedures to keep our church safe. We were cleared by the Massachusetts Criminal Systems History Board to complete CORI applications for all of our volunteers who work with children and youth, and to do so without the $30 fee per CORI check. We have now completed this process for caregivers and for those working with our youth. Many of you who already work with children in schools or other settings are already familiar with the need for the CORI process to help ensure a safe environment for all ages.

We also developed a set of forms, many recommended by UCC, for staff and volunteers to complete. At first glance, you may wonder why we have to answer the questions on the form. This is all because of the world we live in today...life is not as simple as it once was. Even our insurance company is expecting us to do this.

We have included other safe church procedures such as keeping first aid kits up-to-date, having annual fire drills, posting building maps with exits clearly marked, posting emergency cards by telephones, etc. Our P&P was approved by Cabinet on March 13, 2006. It was revised in the Fall of 2008. Contact the Director of Christian Education or Nurture Board members for any questions.