Safety Policies

At Church of the Savior, we take seriously our responsibility to keep our congregation safe — and especially our children and youth. In cooperation with our diocese, Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO), we follow the policies and procedures outlined below. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Lindsay, Savior’s safety coordinator.

Screening and prevention

All clergy and staff, as well as any volunteers who work with children, undergo background checks and regular abuse awareness and prevention training. Click here for more information on the diocesan policies that we follow — such as requiring at least two unrelated volunteers to work with every group of children or youth.

Reporting

If you suspect that a child has been harmed or is at risk of being harmed by abuse or neglect, call the DCFS 24-hour Child Abuse Hotline at 800-25-ABUSE (800-252-2873). In non-emergency situations, they prefer you use the Online Reporting Form.

Then contact Pastor Sarah Lindsay. If you prefer, you may contact Savior’s Rector, Kevin Miller, or the Senior Warden (see Vestry on this page).

If you as an adult feel you have been victimized by someone at Savior, please report directly to Kimberly Pfeiler, the diocesan Ombudsman. Click here to access C4SO’s reporter ("whistleblower") policy.

resources for parents

We asked two veteran social-service providers to list resources they've found helpful for parents to talk with children about safety and abuse. Helen Stewart, senior executive vice-president at Pillars Community Health, suggests:

• Good Therapy Blog: 5 Tips for Talking to Children About Sexual Abuse

• Huffington Post: Talking to Your Child About Sexual Abuse: When Do You Do It and What Do You Say

Dr. Debra Nickerson, founder of Nickerson & Associates, suggests:

• It’s Not the Stork!: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends

• My Body! What I Say Goes!: A book to empower and teach children about personal body safety, feelings, safe and unsafe touch, private parts, secrets and surprises, consent, and respectful relationships

• Let’s Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent and Respect: Teach children about body ownership, respect, feelings, choices and recognizing bullying behaviors

Please fill out the photo release parental consent from here.