NURSERY-AGE CHILDREN IN THE SANCTUARY
Children are welcomed and encouraged to be part of the Sunday morning worship service. For every family there are times when a child needs special attention. If your child’s needs become a distraction to those worshiping around you, there is a nursery available.

CHILDCARE AND USE OF NURSERY ROOMS
Childcare for ages 0-48 months is currently provided during Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night services. All parents must stay on the church grounds when using the nurseries.

Please contact Becky Merryman if you need information regarding childcare availability and guidelines for any other special church events.

WHAT TO BRING
1. Always include a minimum of two diapers. Other than for special needs, disposable diapers are preferred.

2. Bring a complete change of clothes - socks, underpants, pants and shirt. Label each item. While every age baby may need a complete or partial change of clothing, this is particularly needed for infants and when children are being potty trained.

3. For bottle-fed children less than 12 months please provide a plastic bottle. All bottles should be prepared (premixed formula or juice), or formula and measured water provided. For children in who are older than 12 months, sippy cups of water will be given with a graham cracker snack.

4. Please label everything – bag, blanket, coat, bib, bottle, pacifier, clothes and baby carriers.

PARENT SIGN-IN PROCEDURES
Prior to placing your child in the nursery, please check your baby’s diaper to ensure it is fresh and clean. Then sign in at the table outside of the nursery or toddler room.
You will receive a nametag to put on your child’s back and 2 pick-up tags – one for each parent. Then take your little one to the ageappropriate nursery.

When signing in at the nursery, we ask parents to fill in all data on the “Parent Sign-In Sheet”. Once you have signed in and said good bye to your child, hand your child to the caregiver with a smile. It is normal for little ones to sometimes cry when leaving a parent, but this usually does not last long once their attention is redirected. You will be reassured to know that we will not – in most cases – permit a child to cry longer than 10 minutes before paging the parent.

NURSERY PAGES
For the protection of you and your child, the check-in system provides increased security checks. Each week your child will be given a nametag and you will receive pick-up tags with a new family number printed on it. The fact that this number changes from week to week increases the difficulty for a person trying to illegally claim any child as his own (as in contested custody cases).

If for some reason you are not able to pick your child up personally, any adult you designate may pick your child up for you, but only if we have your signed permission on record and only if that person has the child’s correctly numbered pick-up tag. We ask you please not to send brothers and sisters to pick up nursery age children. Each child must be checked out by the person picking him up.

For babies from ages 0 – 18 months old, and older children if needed, your number at checkin will be the number used to page you, should you be needed. If you are needed, you will see your number in red on the LED display on the right hand wall of the sanctuary.

We will not let your child be unduly sad or uncomfortable in the nursery. If he or she has been crying and continues to be upset for 10 minutes, we will page you.

PICK-UP PROCEDURES
Please be sure to pick up your child promptly after the worship service or Sunday school class ends. When picking up a child we ask that you wait at the sign-in counter to have your child handed to you (and to have your pick-up tag ready to be checked.) Please check your child out while you wait. Again, any adult you designate may pick up your child, but only if he/she has the correct pick-up tag and your signed consent.

WELL CHILD POLICY
If your child is exhibiting any of the following symptoms and it is impossible to keep him home, please keep him with you at church. Team Leaders in all departments are authorized to turn away ill children for the sake of other children and caregivers present.

These symptoms can indicate a contagious illness:
1. temperature over 100 degrees within the last 24 hours
2. vomiting
3. diarrhea or abnormally loose stools
4. any undiagnosed rash other than mild heat rash or common diaper rash
5. unusual tiredness, pale complexion, irritability or restlessness
6. nasal discharge that is yellow or green in color; or is clear but a continual flow
7. a congested or wet cough - one that produces yellow or green discharge
8. an eye infection (draining)