Nursery Information
Procedures For Nursery Volunteers
Contact the Nursery Coordinator: Kelly Hansen at kkoastie@gmail.com or (513) 310-9602 Drop-Off & Pick-Up Policy & Colored Cards (March 2022)
WIC has made laminated, colored cards for the nursery and sign-in sheets. When a parent drops off a child, each parent must fill in the sign-in sheet completely. Give each parent one of the colored cards. They will need to write down what color their card is on the sign-in sheet. Please ensure that the sign-in sheet has been completely filled in, including a cell phone number and the name of the individuals who are allowed to pick up the child (an actual name is required, not just “mom” or “dad,” as we have some new volunteers who don’t know parents by sight).
Upon pickup, each parent must return the colored card AND initial the sign-in sheet where it says “sign-out initials." Parents will not be allowed to pick up children without returning the card! If an issue occurs, please find the nursery coordinator, a deacon, an elder, or a WIC officer to help you!
Swapping signup dates with other volunteers:
Please do not swap signup dates with other volunteers. If you cannot volunteer on the date you signed up for, let me know by email or text as soon as possible. I will be more than happy to find a substitute for you! This applies to day-of changes too! This prevents confusion and liability issues and allows us to be sure that the nursery is fully staffed and that the required background checks have been completed for every volunteer.
Volunteer arrival time:
On the date you have signed up for nursery, please arrive at least 10-15 minutes prior to the start of Sunday school or the worship service. This allows parents to drop their children off in a timely manner. If you are running late, please call or text me to let me know so someone can be down in the nursery to cover for you.
Sign-in sheet:
We need every parent dropping a child off to completely fill in the sign-in sheet. We especially need a cell phone number in case the parent needs to be contacted during the service. Make sure to note any allergies! Please ensure each parent fills in the sheet when dropping their child off.
Please also note who the designated pickup person is for each family and ONLY release the child to one of their parents or to the person that they have designated to pick up the child that day. Parents (or the individual they have designated to pick up their child) should initial the sheet at pickup time.
Snacks:
Goldfish crackers are provided. Please do not feed the Goldfish to a child unless his or her parents have given you permission on the sign-in sheet. Additionally, please do not give any other foods or drinks (besides water) to a child unless his or her parents have said it is okay. We need to be mindful of increasing food allergies and parents’ dietary preferences for their children.
No online signup:
To eliminate several issues we have had in the past, we have shifted to a paper signup sheet. Please look for the signup sheet on the WIC table in the narthex. There will no longer be any online signup or automated reminders available. Please note the date that you sign up for in your personal calendar! You are responsible for remembering the date you sign up!
New cleaning procedures:
Before the children arrive, please wash and/or sanitize your hands with the provided sanitizer.
At the end of your nursery shift, please use the provided CleanSmart Toy Sanitizing Spray on the toys and any surfaces that may need some attention. You can let the toys air dry for a bit and then put them away.
After cleaning the toys, please return them to their places to help keep things organized. Some of the toys have labeled bins.
Two volunteers required:
Please note that we must have two volunteers in the nursery at all times. At least one volunteer must be a female PRPC member age 18 or older. If a teenager younger than age 18 would like to volunteer, they may do so with either a parent or another adult member who is 18 or older. If a younger child (under the age of 13) would like to be in the nursery to help, they may do so as long as they do so with a parent and one other adult or teenage volunteer. If a situation ever comes up in which a volunteer is serving alone, please alert a deacon and the nursery coordinator immediately to find another volunteer.
Please stay in the nursery even if no children are present. Parents may choose to drop their children off later during the service or during Sunday school.
If there is a problem during nursery, please text the parents and/or my cell phone (my cell number is below). This applies if a child becomes ill, is injured, or if you feel that a child is inconsolable. Again, we need both volunteers to stay in the nursery with the children at all times, so please do not leave the nursery.
Diapers:
Please check every baby’s diaper before they leave the nursery and change if wet or soiled. PRPC provides extra diapers & wipes in the event that a parent forgets to bring their own. Please put dirty diapers in the provided small plastic bags (located in a labeled box with the other diapering supplies), tie the top, and place into the trash can.
Background checks and child abuse prevention training:
Background checks are completed on all nursery volunteers. If you have not completed your child abuse prevention training, please let Deena Donnelly (admin@providencestlouis.org)or me know. This training is so helpful in keeping our children safe and does not take long to complete!
Backup / substitute volunteer sign-up:
We are looking for people willing to add their names to a list of backup substitute volunteers. These are people who are willing to be contacted to volunteer on a last-minute basis. This sometimes happens in the event that someone who had signed up becomes ill suddenly, etc. Please contact the nursery coordinator if you would like to be added to this list.
Thank you all for your service to our church family! Please let me know if you have any questions.