Many churches with Special Needs Ministries grow organically , making significant program decisions several times a year as a new child comes into the program with a new or unique disability . As a result , ministry leaders are oftentimes required to pivot frequently to accommodate the new child and additional staffing needs . These frequent pivots indicate an organic , rather than intentional style of decision-making .
Many churches with Special Needs Ministries grow organically , making significant program decisions several times a year as a new child comes into the program with a new or unique disability . As a result , ministry leaders are oftentimes required to pivot frequently to accommodate the new child and additional staffing needs . These frequent pivots indicate an organic , rather than intentional style of decision-making .
or supervision . The organic nature of the growth and decision-making leads to minimal screening and limited training of volunteers and staff members serving this most vulnerable population .
Intentional growth If a church intends to provide a Special Needs Ministry , thoughtful decision-making should determine how many special needs children may be served and the types of disabilities to be accommodated . These issues are oftentimes mandated by a limitation of supervisable physical space , particularly given the one-to-one nature of care , and the number of staff members or volunteers available to serve those with disabilities . For example , a church of 500 worshiping in a small building should not try to serve 15 special needs children , because a program of that size requires highly supervised space that can accommodate the 15 special needs children and their ‘ buddies ’ — a total of at least 30 individuals . Rather than attempting to provide all things to all people , the church should assume a special needs program will grow and decide — in advance — the number to be served and types of disabilities to be accommodated . A defined intake system should assess the level of support required by each participant and whether a participant presents significant risk to staff members or other participants . The church should act proactively to take steps to ensure that appropriate facilities are available , and staff members and volunteers are wellscreened and well-trained . Modification or adjustment of the church ’ s physical plant may be driven by the types of disabilities accommodated . Regardless of the disability , adequate staffing and supervision remains critical , and all staff members and volunteers working with special needs individuals must receive training concerning sexual abuse risk unique to children with special needs or disabilities .
SIGNIFICANCE OF STAFFING When it comes to staffing , a Special Needs Ministry requires that a high emphasis be placed by the Church on ( 1 ) accessing an adequate number of those serving ; ( 2 ) accessing high-quality servers ; and ( 3 ) screening out the applicant with ill intent .
Adequate staffing In Children ’ s Ministry , the Two-Adult Rule has become a standard of care : the policy requirement that every service to children should be supervised by at least two trained , screened adults . In some cases , one adult may be sick or fail to arrive , in which case the ministry may double up classrooms or groups to ‘ cover ’, thereby maintaining the Two-Adult Rule . In a Special Needs Ministry , the interaction and supervision are often one-to-one , with very little margin for error when an adult leader fails to arrive . There is often no creative way to address the absence — especially if the staff member or volunteer has unique training or instruction related to a particular participant or disability .
Quality of staffing Special needs staff members and volunteers must understand and embrace the importance of commitment and dependability . Some forms of disability require specialized caregivers . In most cases , however , special needs children are served by big-hearted volunteers willing to pour their lives into ‘ the least of these ’. These volunteers are typically well-meaning , but must be trained to understand :
• The general challenges — and enrichment — of serving children with disabilities ;
• The specific challenges and unique needs of the child served ;
• The risk of sexual abuse within children ’ s programming — generally ; and
• The heightened risk of sexual abuse encountered by children with disabilities .
Where sexual abuse risk is concerned , the special needs child may be the most vulnerable sheep in the sheep pen . All ministry leaders , staff members and volunteers associated with a Special Needs Ministry must understand how the sexual abuser operates , why special needs children are particularly vulnerable , and the grooming process of the abuser . The Church must commit to the expenditure of significant ministry resources to effectively screen those who express interest in serving in this realm . Learn more about Skillful Screening Training , equipping ministry managers and screening personnel to recognize high-risk indicators related to child sexual abuse at www . MinistrySafe . com / training-sst .
IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING Every individual wearing a church ’ s nametag should complete Sexual Abuse Awareness Training , which addresses : Facts vs . Misconceptions , Abuser Characteristics , the Abuser ’ s Grooming Process , Common Grooming Behaviors , Peer-to-Peer Sexual Abuse , the Impact of Abuse and the Importance of Reporting . This training is imperative for those serving children or youth . Working with special needs children requires additional training addressing the unique — and heightened — risk of sexual abuse for special needs children .
Sexual abuse risk — generally In the United States , conservative studies report that 60 million Americans were sexually abused before reaching age 18 — regardless of disability . Given a population of 300 million , that means that 1 out of 5 Americans was sexually abused before reaching adulthood . More specifically , studies indicate that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before reaching age 18 . Clearly , the problem is staggering .
Sexual abuse risk — special needs Though not all forms of disability carry the same level of risk , statistics related to those with disabilities indicate higher risk across the board . The data clearly indicates that those with disabilities are more likely to experience sexual abuse than those without — in fact , far more likely . One study reports that individuals with disabilities are sexually assaulted at nearly three times the rate of those without disabilities , while the U . S . Department of Justice suggests the number may be as much as seven times higher . Though the studies vary , all show a disproportionately higher rate of sexual abuse experienced by individuals with disabilities .
Unfortunately , more than 95 % of sexual abuse involving an individual with a disability goes unreported to appropriate authorities , leaving a mere 5 % that is reported . Why ? This is partially explained by the dynamics of the circumstances of the disabled child and those providing care — addressed below . Sadly , children with disabilities are often targeted BECAUSE of their disabilities , and are not believed DUE to their disabilities . churchexecutive . com STOP CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE • CHURCH EXECUTIVE 83