Child Security Procedures

We at Right Paths take very seriously our responsibility to care for the health and safety of all children and adults in our programs. This document describes the following procedures:

1. Children Health & Safety
2. Adult Safety
3. Abuse Prevention
4. Severe Weather Response Procedures
5. First Aid Procedure
6. Crisis Management Procedure

Children Health & Safety

Registration Requirements

• Birth certificate will be required for registration
• Enrollment will be allowed only by parents or legal guardians
• Immunizations records and tuberculosis test required. Vaccinations are not required.

Approved Adults

• Parents or legal guardians will provide a list of adults that children are allowed to leave with
• We will have contact procedures for emergencies and unforeseen circumstances

Sick Policy

• If a child has a fever over 100° or has vomited, may not return to Right Paths until 24 hours after fever-free or vomiting
• If a child has a temperature over 100° at school, must be brought home as early as can be managed

Adult Safety

• All staff and volunteers will be required to have clear background checks
• Student enrollment will require the approval of all parents and legal guardians
• No adult alone with a student, unless the parent of the child

Abuse Prevention

Monitoring

• We may choose to use a video surveillance system
• Photography will be by consent only

Abuse Allegation Procedure

It is expressly prohibited to abuse, neglect, exploit or mistreat in any form, any person participating in Right Paths. Mistreatment, neglect, exploitation or abuse is defined as, but not necessarily limited to:

Physical Abuse which includes but is not limited to such actions as striking, pulling, pushing, twisting body parts, or inflicting any physical injury to a person by any means. Physical abuse includes directing one person to physically abuse another person.

Sexual Abuse which includes but is not limited to sexual assault, rape, fondling, sexual exploitation, or any sexual interaction between any people.

Mental Abuse which includes any action which creates mental anguish for the person. These actions include but are not limited to discriminatory remarks, belittlement, derogatory name calling, teasing, unreasonable exclusion from conversation or activities, and verbal abuse.

Neglect which includes the denial of meals, medication, and other necessities.

Exploitation includes any illegal or improper action affecting a person or use of the person’s resources for another person’s profit or advantage.
In general, the final report of the investigation should contain written documentation of the following items:

• Interview with victim(s) of alleged abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment,
• Interview with person(s) making allegations,
• Interview with alleged perpetrator(s),
• Interviews with witnesses to alleged incident, which may include other people,
• Other interviews pertinent to incident,
• Documentation of any physical evidence pertinent to the investigation,
• Results of investigations of any external agencies that may be available,
• A Summary of findings and actions taken.

Staff Training

All new employees/volunteers of the company will receive, as part of their orientation to Right Paths, training in identifying and reporting suspected mistreatment, neglect, exploitation and abuse. All employees/volunteers of Right Paths will receive periodic updating of their initial training in the area of abuse, neglect, exploitation and mistreatment.

Staff who have reason to assist people with daily physical care/hygiene activities will be alert to evidence of physical abuse, especially for individuals who have been determined to be at risk for such abuse.

Staff who are in frequent contact with people will be alert to consistent signs of neglect or mistreatment such as lack of proper clothing for weather conditions, lack of appropriate medical care for illness/injuries, inadequate nutrition, sudden changes in behavior, etc.

Reporting Procedures – Children

All Right Paths employees/volunteers who serve children are required by law to report incidents of suspected abuse and/or neglect to the Kansas Department for Children and Family (DCF) and/or to the appropriate local law enforcement agency.

When staff/volunteer has reason to believe that an incident of abuse and/or neglect has occurred, regardless of the suspected source, an immediate verbal report will be made to the principal. The principal will ensure that the incident is reported appropriately to the Department for Children and Family and/or appropriate law enforcement agency

If the child/family has an on-going caseworker through the Department for Children and Family, the report will be made to that caseworker or, in their absence, to the caseworker's supervisor. If neither party is available, a report will be made to the Intake Unit of DCF.

If the child/family in question has had no previous, on-going involvement with DCF, the report will be made to the Intake Unit of DCF.

In the absence of the principal, the individual to whom the incident was originally reported will ensure that the appropriate reporting procedure is followed.

The principal and/or staff/volunteer will ensure that an incident report is completed by the staff person(s) who originally suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment within 24 hours of the initial verbal report.

The principal, in consultation with the DCF case worker to whom the abuse and/or neglect report is made will determine at what point the child's parent(s)/guardian(s) will be informed of the report. When the allegation is against the parent(s)/guardian(s), they will not be informed until legal reporting requirements have been completed.

If the allegation of abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment is against Right Paths staff, volunteer, or other party, the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the child will be informed of the incident and of the steps being taken by Right Paths to investigate the allegation.

Reporting Procedures – Adults

A staff/volunteer person who has reason to suspect abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment of an adult participating in Right Paths will make a report immediately upon discovery to the principal  and/or staff/volunteer, regardless of the suspected source of abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment.

The principal and/or staff/volunteer will ensure that the incident is documented according to Right Paths’ incident reporting policies and Right Paths’ Procedure for Incident Reporting and that a verbal report of the incident is made as quickly as possible. The incident report will be completed no more than 24 hours after the incident.

Depending on the severity and/or nature of the suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment, the information that the person is able to provide and the suspected source of the abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment, a report will be made to the local law enforcement agency and/or the Adult Protection Services caseworker at DCF. It may be necessary for the principal to obtain written authorization from the person and/or guardian to obtain the results of any investigation conducted by DCF Adult Protection

When the allegation of abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment is against Right Paths staff/volunteer, or a party other than a family member and/or guardian of the person, the parent/guardian will be informed of the incident and of the steps being taken to investigate the incident.

Investigation of Right Paths Staff or Volunteers

When it has been alleged that a Right Paths staff member or volunteer has abused, neglected, exploited or mistreated a person receiving services, the President of the Board of Right Paths, immediately upon being appraised of the incident, will appoint a committee of at least three individuals to investigate the allegation.

Preliminary results of the Right Paths internal investigation will be reported within 24 hours of the original report of the incident. A full investigation of the incident must be completed within 10 working days of the initial report.

The coordinator of the internal investigation will be responsible for ensuring that a complete written record of the investigation, findings, and actions taken is made, and is available within 10 working days of the completion of the full investigation. The coordinator will assure that a referral of the incident is made to the Board for review and referrals were made to other agencies such as DCF or law enforcement as appropriate.

All investigation proceedings will honor the right to confidentiality of the staff/volunteer against whom allegations have been made.

Sanctions Toward Staff or Volunteers During Investigation

All results of the Right Paths internal investigation, a Board investigation, and other approved/required investigations by DCF and/or local law enforcement agency will be recorded, with the staff/volunteer’s knowledge, in the staff/volunteer’s personnel file.

The Board of Directors will suspend the staff/volunteer against whom allegations have been made, with or without pay, for the duration of the investigation.

Upon completion of all relevant and authorized or required investigations into the alleged incident, a simple majority of the Board of Right Paths, based upon the information in and recommendations of the various investigations, will determine the continued appropriateness and fitness for employment of the staff/volunteer against whom allegations were made, and determine any special conditions of employment if appropriate.

The President of the Board of Right Paths will inform the Board of Directors of the results of the investigation and actions taken, as appropriate. The President of the Board of Right Paths or designee will inform the parents/guardian/authorized representative of the person of the results of the investigation and actions taken, if appropriate.

Severe Weather Response Procedures

Evacuation and Shelters

Evacuation route maps have been posted in each work area (see below). The following information is marked on evacuation maps:

• Emergency exits
• Primary and secondary evacuation routes
• Locations of fire extinguishers
• Assembly points

Tornado Procedure

This procedure will be followed when weather conditions indicate that a tornado or other severe weather may affect school facilities. This procedure assumes that designated personnel on the emergency call list will be contacted to make the decision that all people in the building should take cover in designated shelter areas.

The principal will monitor emergency weather broadcasts made by the National Weather Service. If the NWS broadcasts a Tornado Watch, the principal will talk to all onsite staff/volunteers and advise them of the potential weather conditions.

If the NWS issues a Tornado Warning for the area where the school is located, the principal will immediately contact all onsite staff/volunteers and advise them that a warning has been issued, and everyone onsite will move to shelter areas. Staff, volunteers, and students will be accounted for in the shelter areas.

All staff, volunteers, and students will go to shelter areas and remain there until the weather system has passed and the “all clear” has been issued by the NWS.

When leaving shelter areas, staff, volunteers, and students must be vigilant in case of any building damage or downed power lines outside the building.

Staff/volunteers will evaluate the effects of the storm and will make the decision whether to continue building operations.

Fire Procedure

Fire drill practices take place at least quarterly to ensure that all children and staff/volunteers are familiar with fire procedures, should a fire take place. Days of fire drills are changed so that every child is involved in the practice.

Staff/volunteers discuss with the children the reasons for the fire drills before and after each drill.

Records of the fire drills are kept detailing the day, time, duration and difficulties encountered in evacuating children and staff from the premises. Difficulties during file drills are dealt with immediately.
Fire drill instructions indicating exit routes and the fire assembly point outside the building are clearly displayed in each room.

Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are available as recommended by the local fire safety services and serviced annually. Written records are kept of the monthly checks of the firefighting equipment.

Fire Drills

1. Raise Alarm
• The person discovering the fire will immediately sound the alarm
• The designated person will get the daily attendance sheet
2. Evacuate Building
• Staff, volunteers, and children evacuate the premises safely to the fire assembly point outside the building.
• The Fire Safety Warden/ Designated person checks all areas of the school to make sure that there no persons left in the building. No one is permitted to enter the building after all areas have been checked and cleared.
• Designated person checks children and staff/volunteers present against the attendance sheet
3. Call Fire Department
• The Fire Safety Warden or Designated person calls the fire department

First Aid Procedure

Right Paths understands First Aid to refer to:

• The initial and appropriate management of illness or injury which aims to preserve life or minimize the consequences of injury and illness until professional medical help can be obtained; and
• The treatment of minor injuries that do not require the attention of a medical practitioner or nurse.

Right Paths recognizes that employers are required to make arrangements for first aid at work, to ensure that illness or injury at work is treated and managed in the most appropriate way.

First Aid Box

All staff and volunteers shall have access to a First Aid Box at every location with children present. The box should contain at least the following:

• Disposable nonporous gloves
• Cleaning agent
• Scissors
• Assorted bandages
• Adhesive tape
• Sterile gauze
• Elastic bandage

Tablets or medicines shall never be stored in the First Aid Box, and any present on site as required by anyone must be locked in a secure storage container.

Crisis Management Procedure

Rights Paths Christian Academy places the highest priority on the preservation of the lives of our students and staff. If an active shooter event should occur, our staff shall use the Avoid, Deny, Defend model.

If it is safe to do so, staff/volunteers should escort the students out of the facility immediately, and avoid the shooter(s).

If staff/volunteers or students are unable to safely exit the school safely, they should lock themselves in their current location and barricade the door to deny access to the shooter(s).

In the event that staff/volunteer or students are unable to avoid or deny access to the shooter(s), they should defend themselves using whatever means are available.

Regardless of the options utilized, staff shall call emergency services (911) as soon as it is safe to do so.

If an active shooter incident occurs, staff/volunteers and students will be required to participate in mental health counseling.