UTAH
Standard-Examiner
Sunday, September 4, 2005
By JaNae Francis
Standard-Examiner staff
jfrancis@standard.net
Laura Fuller, director of the Ascension Lutheran Church preschool, doesn't want to take any chances with the safety of the 3- to 5-year-olds who benefit from her program.
At all times in every class, there's both a teacher and an assistant teacher, she said.
And volunteers are never allowed to be alone with the children.
"We've had policies in place since we opened last year," Fuller said, naming background checks as one precaution.
One area of concern is when children need help in the bathroom, she said. "We let Mom or Dad know what took place, what happened, exactly what we had to do in case they say something."
The North Ogden church's preschool is not alone in its efforts to protect itself and its staff from claims of sexual molestation. Other churches take similar precautions, including recent changes in the teaching practices in some Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wards.