Updates to FUUSN’s Child and Youth Protection Policy Since 2003 FUUSN has had a policy designed to help ensure that our children and youth are nurtured and protected from injury or harm. We have updated this policy over the years as ‘best practices’ for protecting vulnerable congregants have changed. Highlights of the policy include:

• A Code of Ethics to be read and signed by all congregants working with children and youth;

• Having a minimum of two adults present in classrooms and other activities involving youth;

• A requirement that volunteers working with youth have been involved with or a member of FUUSN for 6 months; and

• Conducting Massachusetts CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) checks on all adult volunteers working in religious education classes and other programs involving youth (begun in 2016)

In November 2018, the Operations Council amended the policy to require that all FUUSN employees and adult volunteers involved in overnight activities with youth be required to: (a) successfully complete a national criminal background check and (b) provide two references from organizations with which they have worked/been involved.

FUUSN’s insurance company requires these checks as a condition of maintaining sexual misconduct liability insurance coverage. The national background check includes: (1) SSN trace—name and address history associated with social security number; (2) National Sex Offender Registry Search; and (3) National Criminal Database Search. No credit or financial information will be obtained. Results of all background checks will be reviewed only by the Minister and/or Director of Lifespan Religious Education.

The Child and Youth Protection policy, as well as other policy and information documents published by FUUSN’s Board of Trustees and Operations Council are available on the FUUSN website (http://old2023.fusn.org/policy-information-issuances/).

If you have any questions concerning this policy, please contact Amanda Graff, Susan Bartlett (617-833-8682), or any member of the Operations Council.