Children and Youth Work at a COVID-secure 10AM Service 

We have been planning and praying that once the church is able to re-open, that we will then be able to open up our new COVID safe Sunday morning children’s groups!  We are really looking forward to starting this work for our children, feeling so aware that they have missed out on in person Sunday Bible groups for so long! 

To fit with the government guidelines, things will look quite different, both in terms of how you drop your child to the group, and how it will run.  But the main things will remain the same.  They will be taught Jesus by leaders who are excited about loving the children and making Bible teaching both fun and engaging.

Here is a summary of the details you will need to know.  We are happy to provide you with a copy of the risk assessment, or expanded details (email office@enfieldtown.church):

The room:
 

• The room will be well ventilated, so make sure your child/ren are wearing warm clothes!
• The children will have to social distance from each other, and from the leaders while they are together.  This will be made possible by using tables and chairs. 
• Children will be provided with their own sets of stationary and will not be sharing with each other.  Please do not send anything extra with your child.
• The children will hand sanitise on their way into the room.

In advance:
 

• You will need to register the place of your child(ren) when you book in for the 10am.  If you try to drop your children at the group and their name is not on the register you will be sent back downstairs to sit as a household group in the auditorium. (Register here)
• Children should not attend this group if you, their parent, or carer, are not attending the church service.
• Children should not attend this group if they are unable to use the toilet themselves as the adults caring for them need to remain 2 metres away from them.
• Children should not attend this group if they or a member of their household is displaying symptoms of COVID 19, or if they should be self isolating for any reason.
• Children will be assigned a 'Bubble', which will not change from week to week.  If there is only one child that week they cannot be moved to the other bubble for a week.  The group will run with just one child or be cancelled.
• The group will be a mixed aged group. (Bubble A will include children from nursery to reception (age 3 to 5).  Bubble B will include children from year 1 to year 3 (age 5 to 8).   
• There will be 3 leaders per bubble, who will not change from week to week.  There will be a 4th “spare” leader attached to each bubble.  If one leader is unavailable for a week the 4th leader will stand in.  The 4th leader is not a spare leader for both bubbles, they are only ever allowed into one of the bubbles.  If 2 of the 4 leaders are unavailable, the group will be cancelled, hopefully in advance, but if not, this will happen on the day. 

On arrival:
 

• You will arrive at church as a family unit.  The whole family unit will be temperature checked (as usual) and hand sanitised. 
• If the child/ren comes with one parent only the parent and child/ren both go upstairs following the one-way system.  Once the child has been dropped to their group the parent comes downstairs, and registers BOTH THE PARENT AND THE CHILD/REN in the auditorium.
• If there are two parents / carers with the child/ren, one parent or carer takes the child/ren upstairs to drop off the child/ren, then the parent / carer comes downstairs and registers themselves and the child/ren in the group.  The other parent goes straight to the Auditorium and registers themselves and any child/ren they have with them.
• If there is one parent / carer with children, not all of whom are going into the group, the parent and ALL children will go upstairs to drop the relevant child/ren to their group.  The parent / carer and remaining child/ren will come downstairs and the parent registers the whole family present at the auditorium registration point.
• If the child is unwilling to separate from you immediately then they should follow the one-way system with you and sit in their household unit in the church service.  They can try again the following week. You must not re try taking them to the group on that Sunday.
• The child will enter the group and be registered there. (Note the child/ren will be registered both upstairs in their group, AND downstairs in the auditorium.  We are required to register them in the auditorium as this is where we register details of people in the building for the purposes of Track and Trace. 
• Unlike the way we previously ran Treasure Hunters, the children will be arriving as and when you arrive at the church building and will be taken straight to the children’s group. 

The group:
 

• The child will sanitise their hands as they enter the room before they sit at their table.
• Teaching will be from up front as the leaders need to maintain social distance from the children.  If they need to break this for any reason, they will wear a mask (and gloves if necessary).
• According to the guidelines singing is allowed if it is quiet and social distancing is observed. 
• Teaching will be interactive and engaging.  We can use crafts, colouring in, sticking etc just like usual. 

At the end:
 

• The child should be collected in the same way that they were dropped off. 
• The children will sanitise their hands on their way out.