Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to provide for the safety and security of children related to Adventist Frontier Missions, Inc. (hereafter referred to as AFM) projects while ensuring that persons are treated in a Godly manner.

Philosophy and Value Statement:

AFM’s mission to reach the unreached naturally extends to children.  We recognize that children are a gift from God and their emotional, physical, and spiritual health greatly impacts their personal salvation as well as their ability to be involved in the mission of Christ.  Appropriate attention to their care, protection, and healthy spiritual, physical, and emotional development is of tremendous importance to God and to us.  Recognizing the long-term, far-reaching impact of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse to a child, AFM considers the protection of children a serious matter.

Definition of Child Abuse:

A “child” is defined as any person under the age of 18 years. Child abuse will be as defined below:

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is an interaction or lack of interaction that causes non-accidental injury by a person in a position of power, responsibility or trust of a child. Examples include, but are not limited to, beating, throwing, biting, kicking, punching, strangling or burning. 

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is any form of sexual contact with a child by an adult or older child. Sexual abuse may be through communications, visual exposures, or physical contact and could include, but are not limited to, making sexual innuendos, solicitation, peeping, leering, voyeurism, exhibitionism, pornography, fondling, kissing, penetration or any act intended to sexually arouse either party.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is any act that causes harm to a child’s mental health. Acts include, but are not limited to, denigrating, blaming, threatening, ridiculing, humiliation, terrorizing, isolation, or other rejecting treatment.

Neglect

Neglect is the failure to provide for the development of a child’s health, education, nutrition, shelter or emotional development. Examples may include, but not be limited to, inadequate supervision, insufficient food, lack of necessary clothes, or refusal of medical care for a severe health concern.

Body of Policy

The Human Resources Director and the International Field Director are the designated individuals to implement the AFM Child Protection Policy.  However, the AFM President has the overall responsibility to ensure implementation of policies. 

Background Checks:

All AFM employees, Volunteer Missionary Candidates (VMCs), Student Missionaries (SMs), Short Term Missionaries (STMs), Explorer Missionaries (EMs), Contract Missionaries (ConMs),  and direct service volunteers are required to complete a background check clearance as provided for in their own countries prior to employment or volunteering with AFM (see Policy 206 Criminal Background Check and FORM 206 Criminal Background Check Release). Local individuals hired by projects (see policy 230 Local Hire at Project) that include interaction with children shall complete a criminal background check in compliance with their country’s laws (see Policy 206 for further instructions and complete FORM 206b). Reference checks are also required as part of the application process for all employees and volunteers.

Expectation of adherence to AFM’s Child Protection Policy may be mentioned in any advertisements for AFM’s employment opportunities.

Training:

Familiarity with the AFM Child Protection Policy will be expected of all AFM employees, VMCs, SMs, STMs, EMs, ConMs and direct service volunteers approved by the HR committee.  Education will be made available during orientation (VMCs), summer training (SM/STMs), retreats, office staff training, and/or other appropriate venues. New employees will receive this training prior to beginning duties of employment.

Media:

In media presentations, AFM will always aim to present a balanced and accurate portrayal of children with regard to their culture, social and economic environment, with special attention given to protecting the child’s dignity and modesty.  Children must be appropriately clothed and covered.  No information that would knowingly put a child at immediate risk of physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect shall be included in the AFM magazine, other publications, on the website, or through other means of communication.

Reporting:

Any situation where an AFM employee, VMC, SM, STM, EM, ConM, or direct service volunteer(s) are accused of child abuse or a missionary child(ren) is an alleged victim of child abuse, must be reported immediately to the Human Resources Director, International Field Director or officer in charge (see 704b PROC for the step-by-step reporting procedure and complete 704b FORM Preliminary Report of Alleged Child Abuse). If alleged abuse occurs prior to employment with AFM but an accusation is not made until after employment, AFM may report and/or conduct an investigation. AFM will not engage in retaliatory behavior toward an individual who makes a good faith report of child abuse that is unsubstantiated in any subsequent investigation.

Internal Investigation:

AFM will conduct an internal investigation (see 704c PROC Internal Investigation Process of Alleged Child Abuse). Exoneration will be duly annotated in the appropriate personnel records when findings support this. Employees not exonerated may face disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Furthermore, employees and direct service volunteers for a project may be subject to the laws of the country where the act occurred and/or the country’s laws in which they have citizenship.

Confidentiality:

AFM will maintain confidentiality, but will report alleged child abuse to the proper authorities as well as to the parents if they are not the alleged perpetrator.

Confidentiality, for purposes of this policy, is defined as maintaining the trust and privacy of all involved.  Anyone involved with an alleged incident must seek to safeguard the rights and reputation of the alleged victim(s), alleged offender(s), and their families by refraining from discussing it with anyone other than those to whom the report is made, until approved to do so by the President, Human Resources Director or International Field Director.

In cases of abuse, confidentiality is based upon the “need to know” principle. This differs considerably from AFM’s usual operation of transparency, in which all leaders are involved in, and/or have access to, all facts in a given situation.  In the case of alleged child abuse, however, the “need to know” principle is to be applied at every level of the investigation, and will be determined by the President, International Field Director and Human Resources Director throughout the process.

Related Policies:

206 Criminal Background Check

230 Local Hire at Project

701 Employee Conduct and Work Rules

703 Sexual and Other Unlawful Harassment

Related Procedures:

704a PROC Reporting Procedure

704b PROC Internal Investigation Process of Alleged Child Abuse

704c PROC Prevention, Care, and Follow-Up

Related Forms:

206 FORM Background Check Release

704a FORM Preliminary Report of Alleged Child Abuse

230a FORM Local Hire at Project Checklist

230b FORM Application for Local Hire

AFM seeks to protect children and to this end we now require volunteers to complete a specific training module on this topic prior to departure.

Note: If you are able to prove you have received equivalent training in the area of Child Protection (i.e. Shield the Vulnerable certificate), contact the Human Resources Director. This may meet AFM’s requirement for training, but approval by the HR Director is required.

Instructions:

1. Go to www.taalk.org.
   
   
2. Click on “Training: Free Class”
   
   
3. Under the “On-Line Training” section is a link to begin the training entitled “Child Sexual Abuse Boundaries for Youth-Serving Organizations” (Module #2). You only need to watch Part 1 & 2.
   
   a. You are required to enter your name and email address
   
   b. The training takes approximately an hour and a half to complete
   
   c. Note: You can pause this training but it will time you out and you may have to re-enter your name and email, but you can continue on with the training still (just note at what point you paused in case it loses your place)
   
   
4. Read the attached AFM Child Protection Policy.
   
   
5. Complete the 10 question quiz below after completing the on-line training.

Report the abuse to the local authorities Counsel the parents of the alleged victim Submit a written form that documents everything Recommend care for the alleged victim

By this electronic signature, I am indicating that I have completely watched the on-line training, I have not shared or received answers to this quiz with others, and agree to protect any and all children I may come in contact with while volunteering with Adventist Frontier Missions.

A background check is required of all volunteers as part of AFM’s Child Protection Policy.

Please fill out the corresponding form for this purpose. AFM will then complete a national background check for each volunteer.

AFM Disclosure Regarding Background Report

Adventist Frontier Missions (“COMPANY”) may obtain from Sterling Infosystems, Inc. (“STERLING TALENT SOLUTIONS”), 1 State Street, New York, NY 10004, (877) 424-2457, www.sterlingtalentsolutions.com, a consumer report and/or an investigative consumer report (“REPORT”) that contains background information about you in connection with your application. If you are accepted as a volunteer/applicant/employee / guest attendee, to the extent permitted by law, COMPANY may obtain from STERLING further reports throughout your service without providing further disclosure or obtaining additional consent. 

The REPORT may contain information about your character, general reputation, personal characteristics and mode of living. The REPORT may include, but is not limited to, credit reports and credit history information; criminal and other public records and history; public court records (e.g., bankruptcies, tax liens and judgments); motor vehicle and driving records; educational and employment history, including professional disciplinary actions; drug/alcohol test results; and Social Security verification and address history, subject to any limitations imposed by applicable federal and state law. This information may be obtained from public record and private sources, including credit bureaus, government agencies and judicial records, former employers and educational institutions, and other sources. 

If an investigative consumer REPORT is obtained, in addition to the description above, the nature and scope of any such REPORT will be employment verifications and references, or personal references.

Everyone: Submit Pages 1 and 2
Residents of WA, CA, MA, MN, NJ, OK, or NY, Submit Pages 1-3

AFM HR Director, PO Box 286, Berrien Springs, MI 49103
Email: hrdirector@afmonline.org OR FAX: 269-473-4375

I have read the Disclosure Regarding Background Report provided by Adventist Frontier Missions (“COMPANY”) and this Authorization to Obtain a Background Report. By my signature below, I hereby consent to the preparation by Sterling Infosystems, Inc. (“STERLING”), a consumer reporting agency located at 1 State Street, New York NY 10004, (877) 424-2457, www.sterlinginfosystems.com, of background reports regarding me and the release of such reports to the COMPANY and its designated representatives, to assist the COMPANY in making a  decision involving me at any time after receipt of this authorization and throughout my service, to the extent permitted by law. To this end, I hereby authorize, without reservation, any state or federal law enforcement agency or court, educational institution, motor vehicle record agency, credit bureau or other information service bureau or data repository, or employer to furnish any and all information regarding me to STERLING and/or the COMPANY itself, and authorize STERLING to provide such information to the COMPANY. I agree that a facsimile (“fax”), electronic or photographic copy of this Authorization shall be as valid as the original.

I acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s “A SUMMARY OF YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT” (see pages 4-6).

Washington State Applicants only: You also have the right to request from the consumer reporting agency a written summary of your rights and remedies under the Washington Fair Credit Reporting Act.

New York Applicants Only: By signing the authorization, you acknowledge that you have received a copy of New York Correction Law Article 23-A. You have the right, upon written request, to be informed whether an investigative consumer REPORT was requested. If such a REPORT was requested, you will be provided with the name and address of the consumer reporting agency that prepared the REPORT and you can contact that agency to inspect or receive a copy of the REPORT.

California Residents only: California Disclosure Regarding Employment Background Report

Adventist Frontier Missions (“COMPANY”) may obtain from Sterling Infosystems, Inc. (“STERLING TALENT SOLUTIONS”), 1 State Street, New York, NY 10004, (877) 424-2457, www.sterlingtalentsolutions.com, a consumer report and/or an investigative consumer report (“REPORT”) that contains background information about you in connection with your employment or employment application for employment purposes. If you are hired, to the extent permitted by law, COMPANY may obtain from STERLING further REPORTS throughout your employment for an employment purpose without providing further disclosure or obtaining additional consent. 

The REPORT may contain information about your character, general reputation, personal characteristics and mode of living. The REPORT may include, but is not limited to, credit reports and credit history information; criminal and other public records and history; public court records (e.g., bankruptcies, tax liens and judgments); motor vehicle and driving records; educational and employment history, including professional disciplinary actions; drug/alcohol test results; and Social Security verification and address history, subject to any limitations imposed by applicable federal and state law. This information may be obtained from public record and private sources, including credit bureaus, government agencies and judicial records, former employers and educational institutions, and other sources.

If an investigative consumer REPORT is obtained, in addition to the description above, the nature and scope of any such REPORT will be employment verifications and references, or personal references.

 

You may inspect STERLING’s files concerning you during normal business hours and upon reasonable notice. You can inspect the files at STERLING’s offices if you furnish proper identification, and you can obtain a copy by paying duplication costs. One other person can accompany you if he or she furnishes reasonable identification. You can also obtain a copy of your files by sending STERLING at the address listed above a written request, including proper identification, by certified mail. STERLING will give you a summary of the information in the files by telephone if you submit a written request including proper identification. STERLING has trained personnel who can explain the information furnished to you, and can provide a written explanation of any coded information contained in your files. “Proper identification” includes documents such as a valid driver’s license, Social Security card, military identification card or credit card. If necessary, STERLING may request additional information about your employment and personal or family history to verify your identity.

A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

Para informacion en espanol, visite www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore o escribe a la Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 1700 G Street N.W., Washington DC 20006

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) promotes the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies. There are many types of consumer reporting agencies, including credit bureaus and specialty agencies (such as agencies that sell information about check writing histories, medical records, and rental history records). Here is a summary of your major rights under the FCRA. For more information, including information about additional rights, go to www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore or write to: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street N.W., Washington, DC 20006

• You must be told if information in your file has been used against you.  Anyone who uses a credit report or another type of consumer report to deny your application for credit, insurance, or employment - or to take another adverse action against you - must tell you, and must give you the name, address, and phone number of the agency that provided the information.
• You have the right to know what is in your file. You may request and obtain all the information about you in the files of a consumer reporting agency (your "file disclosure"). You will be required to provide proper identification, which may include your Social Security number. In many cases, the disclosure will be free. You are entitled to a free file disclosure if a person has taken adverse action against you because of information in your credit report;

○ you are the victim of identity theft and place a fraud alert in your file;o your file contains inaccurate information as a result of fraud;

○ you are on public assistance”

○ you are unemployed but expect to apply for employment within 60 days.

In addition, all consumers will be entitled to one free disclosure every 12 months upon request from each nationwide credit bureau and from nationwide specialty consumer reporting agencies. See www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore for additional information.

• You have the right to ask for a credit score. Credit scores are numerical summaries of your credit-worthiness based on information from credit bureaus. You may request a credit score from consumer reporting agencies that create scores or distribute scores used in residential real property loans, but you will have to pay for it. In some mortgage transactions, you will receive credit score information for free from the mortgage lender.
• You have the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. If you identify information in your file that is incomplete or inaccurate, and report it to the consumer reporting agency, the agency must investigate unless your dispute is frivolous. See www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore for an explanation of dispute procedures.
• Consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information. Inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable information must be removed or corrected, usually within 30 days. However, a consumer reporting agency may continue to report information it has verified as accurate.
• Consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information. In most cases, a consumer reporting agency may not report negative information that is more than seven years old, or bankruptcies that are more than 10 years old.
• Access to your file is limited. A consumer reporting agency may provide information about you only to people with a valid need -- usually to consider an application with a creditor, insurer, employer, landlord, or other business. The FCRA specifies those with a valid need for access
• You must give your consent for reports to be provided to employers. A consumer reporting agency may not give out information about you to your employer, or a potential employer, without your written consent given to the employer. Written consent generally is not required in the trucking industry. For more information, go to www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore.
• You may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report. Unsolicited "prescreened" offers for credit and insurance must include a toll-free phone number you can call if you choose to remove your name and address from the lists these offers are based on. You may opt-out with the nationwide credit bureaus at 1-888-567-8688.
• You may seek damages from violators. If a consumer reporting agency, or, in some cases, a user of consumer reports or a furnisher of information to a consumer reporting agency violates the FCRA, you may be able to sue in state or federal court.
• Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have additional rights.
• For more information, visit www.consumerfinance.gov/learnmore.
• States may enforce the FCRA, and many states have their own consumer reporting laws. In some cases, you may have more rights under state law. For more information, contact your state or local consumer protection agency or your state Attorney General. For information about your federal rights, contact:

TYPE OF BUSINESS:	CONTACT:
1.a. Banks, savings associations, and credit unions with total assets of over $10 billion and their affiliates	a. Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection 1700 G Street NW Washington, DC 20006
b. Such affiliates that are not banks, savings associations, or credit unions also should list, in addition to the Bureau:	b. Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Response Center – FCRA Washington, DC 20580 (877) 382-4357
2. To the extent not included in item 1 above:
a. National banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches and federal agencies of foreign banks	a. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Customer Assistance Group 1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3450 Houston, TX 77010-9050
b. State member banks, branches and agencies of foreign banks (other than federal branches, federal agencies, and insured state branches of foreign banks), commercial lending companies owned or controlled by foreign banks, and organizations operating under section 25 or 25A of the Federal Reserve Act	b. Federal Reserve Consumer Help Center P.O. Box 1200 Minneapolis, MN 55480
c. Nonmember Insured Banks, Insured State Branches of Foreign Banks, and insured state savings associations	c. FDIC Consumer Response Center 1100 Walnut Street, Box #11 Kansas City, MO 64106
d. Federal Credit Unions	d. National Credit Union Administration Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) Division of Consumer Compliance and Outreach (DCCO) 1775 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314
3. Air carriers	Asst. General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement & Proceedings Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590
4. Creditors Subject to Surface Transportation Board	Office of Proceedings, Surface Transportation Board Department of Transportation 395 E Street SW Washington, DC 20423
5. Creditors Subject to Packers and Stockyards Act	Nearest Packers and Stockyards Administration area supervisor
6. Small Business Investment Companies	Associate Deputy Administrator for Capital Access United States Small Business Administration 409 Third Street, SW, 8th Floor Washington, DC 20416
7. Brokers and Dealers	Securities and Exchange Commission 100 F St NE Washington, DC 20549
8. Federal Land Banks, Federal Land Bank Associations, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, and Production Credit Associations	Farm Credit Administration 1501 Farm Credit Drive Mclean, VA 22102-5090
9. Retailers, Finance Companies, and All Other Creditors Not Listed Above	FTC Regional Office for region in which the creditor operates or Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Response Center – FCRA Washington, DC 20580 (877) 382-4357

 

Summary of Your Rights under California Civil Code 1786.22

An investigative consumer reporting agency (“Agency”) will supply files and information that you have a right to inspect during normal business hours and on reasonable notice. All files that SterlingBackcheck maintains on you will be made available for your visible inspection, as follows:

• In person, if you appear in person and furnish proper identification. A copy of the file will also be available to you for a fee not to exceed the actual costs of copying
• By certified mail, if you make a written request to, with proper identification, for copies to be sent to a specified address. However, agencies complying with a request for such a mailing will not be liable for disclosures to third parties caused by mishandling of mail after it leaves the Agency.
  
• A summary of all information contained in your file and required to be provided to you under the California Civil code will be provided by telephone, if you have made a written request, with proper identification.
  
• “Proper identification” includes documents such as a valid driver’s license, social security account number, military identification card, and credit cards. Only if you cannot identify yourself with such information may the Agency require additional information concerning your employment and personal or family history in order to verify his identity
  
• The Agency will provide trained personnel to explain any information furnished to you pursuant to Civil Code 1786.10. The Agency will provide a written explanation of any coded information contained in your file. This written explanation shall be distributed whenever a file is provided to you for visual inspection.
  
• You may be accompanied by one other person of your choice when you come to inspect your file. This person must furnish reasonable identification. The Agency may require you to furnish a written statement granting permission to the Agency to discuss your file in your companion’s presence.

Resumen de sus derechos bajo el Código Civil de California 1786.22

Una agencia de informes de investigación de consumidores (“Agencia”) proporcionará archivos e información que usted tiene derecho a inspeccionar durante el horario comercial normal y con un aviso razonable. Todos los archivos que SterlingBackcheck mantenga acerca de usted serán puestos a su disposición para inspección visual, como sigue

• En persona, si usted comparece en persona y proporciona la identificación apropiada. Se pondrá asimismo a disposición suya una copia del informe por un costo no superior al costo efectivo de hacer las copias
  
• Por correo certificado, si usted efectúa una solicitud escrita, con identificación apropiada, para que se envíen copias a una dirección especificada. No obstante, las agencias que cumplan con una solicitud de tal tipo de envío por correo no serán responsables de las divulgaciones a terceros causadas por un manejo inapropiado del correo una vez que salga de la Agencia.
  
• Se proporcionará por teléfono un resumen de toda la información contenida en su archivo y que se requiera que sea proporcionada en virtud del Código Civil de California, si usted efectúa una solicitud escrita, con identificación apropiada.
  
• El término “Identificación apropiada” incluye documentos tales como una licencia válida para manejar,número de cuenta del Seguro Social, tarjeta de identificación militar, y tarjetas de crédito. Únicamente si usted no puede identificarse con tal información la Agencia podrá requerir información adicional en relación con su empleo e historial personal o familiar para verificar su identidad.
  
• La Agencia proporcionará personal capacitado para explicar cualquier información proporcionada a usted de conformidad con el Código Civil 1786.10. La Agencia proporcionará una explicación escrita de cualquier información codificada contenida en su archivo. Esta explicación escrita será distribuida siempre que un archivo le sea proporcionado a usted para inspección visual.
  
• Usted puede estar acompañado por otra persona de su elección cuando venga a inspeccionar su archivo.Esta persona debe proporcionar una identificación razonable. La Agencia puede requerir que usted proporcione una declaración escrita concediendo permiso a la Agencia para hablar de su archivo en presencia de la persona que le acompañe.