With COVID cases still rising in parts of the country and the start of the school year fast approaching, many school districts are adopting some kind of hybrid face-to-face/distance learning model. In many cases that means student are home three days per week or more, putting stress on working parents who now need to find childcare. Some of our churches are helping to fill the gap. If your church is thinking about some kind of school-age program, there are some things you should consider:
Safe Sanctuaries – whenever we have children (anyone under 18) and vulnerable adults in our care we need to have proper Safe Sanctuaries guidelines in place. This includes compliance with background checks, training, and two-deep leadership for all volunteers and paid personnel.
Funding & Compensation – while we may want to provide this service free of charge, not everyone can volunteer. When we start talking about compensation, it opens a plethora of other considerations. What is a fair tuition rate? Who is going to track the necessary accounting? How much should teachers be compensated (hourly/day rate)? What of the Fair Labor Standards Act is applicable to your setting and employees? Can they be considered independent contractors or are they truly employees for whom the church must withhold and remit appropriate taxes? These are all questions that should be reviewed with an attorney or other HR expert.
Employee Handbook – if you are going to be hiring people for this new ministry, you will want to be sure that you have a clear employee handbook to address any potential issues before they become problems. Things such as time & attendance, time off, compensation, dress code, internet and electronic use policies should all be addressed ahead of time in writing.
Insurance – while our Conference Property & Casualty insurance covers most church ministries you will want to report any major church improvements to be sure they’re covered. Also, it is important to understand that volunteers are not covered under workers’ compensation, and all church employees must be reported on the end of year EZRA statistics to be included for workers’ compensation coverage. Keeping clear records will be helpful for reporting purposes.
Regulation – although your program may only be temporary, you should probably reach out to your state and local municipalities to be sure you are in compliance with any licensing and inspection requirements. For instance, do you have enough indoor play space? If you’re serving lunch, does your kitchen require a Serve Safe certificate?
If you are considering some kind of COVID-related school-age ministry, that’s great. It’s important and it’s an excellent opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ. At the same time, do your homework to ensure you will be able to continue doing ministry for years to come! There may be additional issues to consider as this document is not intended to be all inclusive, but rather to help you start thinking, planning, and praying about how you and your church can help meet a vital need.
