How to Plan a Church Nursery
Church nurseries play an important role in a church, leaving parents free to worship as their young children play happily close by. Creating a well-run nursery requires nurturing volunteers or staff, supported by well-organized and defined procedures. With careful planning, you can create a nursery that offers a delightful experience for the church's youngest congregants and peace of mind for their parents.
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Things You'll Need
- Baby swing
- Crib
- Teething toys
- Toddler toys
- Books
- Small table and chairs
- Baby care supplies
- First-aid kit
Instructions
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Research state health and safety regulations, as well as any established by the church. Make sure you comply with requirements from other agencies, such as social services or child protection. Complete any necessary paperwork.
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Plan your budget. Determine how much money the church can allocate for staff, equipment and supplies. Budget for items such as playpens, cribs, toys, miniature furniture and safety equipment. If church funds aren't available, organize fundraisers with the congregation. This can be a fun bonding experience and way to collect donations of used equipment and toys that could cut your costs considerably.
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Determine staffing needs. Interview potential staff, if you will be hiring paid nursery employees, or recruit volunteers from the congregation. Investigate your workers. Conduct background checks for each staff member and volunteer; be aware that these checks often have a fee.
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Train workers and volunteers. Make sure they understand nursery policies, discipline policies and emergency procedures. Offer training in child and infant CPR if your workers aren't already certified.
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Set up a volunteer roster and allow time to finalize any outstanding paperwork. Book helpers well in advance and remind them several days before their shift to avoid any last minute no-shows.
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Divide the room into age-appropriate areas. If you cannot separate babies and toddlers in different rooms, divide the nursery space with a room divider or short bookshelves. Equip the infant-only area with cribs, bedding, a baby swing, exersaucer, soft toys and teething toys. For toddlers, include small tables, chairs, books, age-appropriate toys and larger toys like a rocking horse or car. Include role-play stations like a mini-kitchen or store. Stock up on craft materials for fun and educational crafts, cut-outs and drawings. Make sure the space is childproofed for safety.
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Stock up on vital supplies. These include different-sized diapers, baby wipes, plastic bags for soiled clothes or diapers, wash cloths, hand sanitizer, face wipes, first-aid ointments, band-aids and cleaning products, including bleach or a similar cleanser to disinfect toys regularly.
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Ensure that parents complete the required paperwork when they drop off their child. This includes information such as food allergies or special needs. Include space for special instructions, such as medication to be administered, and for noting any items the child has brought with them. Establish a system for parents to be contacted if they need to return to the nursery. Some churches offer parents pagers to carry while they are at church.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Merry nursery texture adding happiness. image by ITALIA12 from Fotolia.com
