Expectations of Nursery Staff

Welcome!  We are so pleased that you have chosen to serve in the nursery!  Many of you have served in the Nursery for many years.  The goal of our Nursery supervisors is to establish guidelines to enable the Church Nursery to be a safe, secure, happy and loving environment for both the children and their parents.  You have one of the most important jobs in our church.  You are helping to lay a firm foundation of faith in the lives of the babies and toddlers you will be caring for.  When you hold, cuddle, change, feed, talk to, and play with these children, they will learn that church is a friendly place where children are loved.

Your Responsibilities:

• To arrive at least 15 minutes before the service starts.

• To find a substitute or switch with someone when you are unable to serve.

• To follow all procedures

Procedures:

• Upon entering the nursery we ask that you remove your shoes as shoes carry germs and dirt into an area where young children crawl and lay on the floor.

• Put on a smock and a nametag so that you are easily identified as a nursery volunteer.

• Explain the security system to each visitor.  Make sure they understand their number, proper response when their number is displayed, and the check out procedure.

• Children are not to be released to other children even if the other child is a sibling.

• Children are only to be released to the parent or guardian who signed them in.

• Children of nursery staff who are not of nursery age are not allowed to be in the nursery during the service.  Please make other accommodations.

• Please do not allow sick children into the nursery.

• Please put all toys away.  Dirty toys are to be placed in the bag marked dirty toys.

• Change all sheets after a child has napped.  Place all sheets in the dirty clothes bag.

• If you notice that we are out of something please make a note of this on the “supplies needed” list.

• It is very important that you communicate to the greeter or parent if there have been any behavioral problems, a diaper has been changed, or a bottle fed.

• Diaper changes – please change “stinky” diapers in the toddler bathroom located between the two nurseries and turn the fan on.  Wrap diapers in plastic bag before placing in the garbage to help minimize the smell.  Please use gloves!  Spray the area down with disinfectant and wipe down after changing.

• Wash hands very well and use hand sanitizer whenever you come in contact with bodily fluids or dirty items.

• Any parent who wants to check on his or her child is encouraged to do so.  We request that these parents use the viewing window as not to disrupt the nursery.

• We would like to keep a safe child to volunteer ratio.  Infant to staff ratio should be 2 infants for 1 adult.   Children up to age three should have a ratio of 3 children for 1 adult.  It is necessary to turn children away or to ask a parent to stay and help out if the ratio has already been met.

• We ask that you follow the health policies that have been laid out for our children.

• It is important in any nursery room to contact the parent or guardian if a crying child cannot be consoled.  Do all that you can to minister to that child prior to calling the parent.

• You are in the nursery to work with the children.  Do not confine yourself to the rocking chairs.  Be with the children.  Play with the children.  Speak to them in a calm, respectful way.

Greeter Procedures

Thank you for helping us welcome our little ones to the Nursery.   We just wanted to take a moment to remind you of a few important policies to keep things running well.

• Please be at the nursery 10 minutes prior to the start of the service.

• Please be sure that all children accepted into the nursery meet our “well-child” criteria.  Remember: always treat the parent and child with respect.  Remain calm and speak in a soft soothing voice.  Your genuine concern for the child and other children must be conveyed in a polite manner to the parent.

• Help the parents check in and sign off children on the attendance sheet.  Explain our security system to new parents and explain to them the purpose of their number and the response expected of them if their number is called.

• Keep the doors into the actual nursery closed so that
  
  • We don’t lose any children
  • This way everyone gets checked in and out properly
  • Eliminates chaos

• Have the nursery volunteers stay in the nursery area so that you can hand them the children.  This also eliminates the situation of them taking a child that maybe shouldn’t have been accepted for care.

• Check in each child one at a time.  Sometimes a line does form, but as long as the parents see that you are going in order they will be patient.  Remember this is the only way that we can accurately pass on or receive the information needed to keep everything running well during the service.
  
  • Sometimes a parent may volunteer to help you if they think you look too busy, but we prefer that only those on the greeter list fill the position.  You can explain to the parent volunteer that in order to keep all lines of communication open between the nursery volunteers and parents it works best to take one child at a time.  Be sure to thank them and see if maybe they would like to have their name added to the greeter schedule.

• Please ask the Nursery volunteers if everything went all right.  This way if there is any kind of problem you can let the parents know if there is a reason for concern.

• Your speech, attitudes and manner represent Christ.  Smile, act friendly, and treat every parent and child with respect.  Parents often come to the nursery exhausted and in a hurry.  At times they say and do things that they are sorry for later.  Your Christ-like response at these times will help bring peace to the parent and child.