childrensministry.com: More Than Babysitting

5/25/2008 7:41:49 PM
mary.morrow4 said: Your article was helpful; I would be interested to receive more information re: establishing a strong and nurturing nursery environment for a church setting. Thanks for your great advice! Mary

5/19/2008 12:04:53 PM
retiredusaf2008 said: In the next few months I hope to move into the position of Nursery Coordinator at my church. While doing research online about nursery procedures, policies and programs I came across this article. WOW! It speaks my heart!! It is so important to me to see the nursery as a working functioning ministry in the church rather than just a babysitting service. It was so encouraging to read of others who have the same vision. Thank you !! These little ones are the next generation church. Continue sharing the vision!! Sincerely, J.King - Minot, N.D.

4/14/2008 10:16:27 AM
cyjones said: For clarity, the ratios below are: Birth to 12 months: 3 children to 2 staff; 1-year-olds: 6 children to 2 staff; 2- to 4-year-olds: 8 children to 2 staff; and 5 and up: 10 children to 2 staff.

4/14/2008 10:12:36 AM
cyjones said: Tabithabrun226: These are great questions. You need to ensure that your volunteer-to-child ratios are adequate. Here's what experts recommend: The key to having a safe but efficient child-care program is based on a few guidelines and a caretaker-to-child ratio. Because one caregiver shouldn’t be left alone with any number of children, the reality of that ratio is 6:2 with no more than six children for two caregivers. Birth to 12 months 3:2 1-year-olds 6:2 2- to 4-year-olds 8:2 5 and up 10:2 Children's ministers differ on whether to "make" parents serve in the nursery. However, if you do, give them more of an assistant role, rather than the lead teacher. They may find out they love it. Other churches hire coordinators who provide consistency from week to week in each age group. There are also varied opinions on this. In our church, we've found it helpful to recruit mothers and daughters and also teen helpers. Just ensure there's always an adult in the room, too. I hope some of this helps!

4/14/2008 7:35:40 AM
tabithabrun226 said: Hello, I have just read this very insightful information and appreciate the time and effort put into it. I so much need information like this. I have been our nursery director now for two years. Our church is steadily growing we have anywhere from 6 to 18 children per Sunday. And sometimes I feel that our staffing isn't enough. I have a schedule of 3 workers per sunday but this sometimes is not enough. Could someone please give suggestions to getting proper scheduling as I am looking at some options. One of them is to get the parents of the children who frequent the nursery to volunteer 1 Sunday per month and that would be a blessing. Sometimes I am reluctant to it because of the whinning the parents do (not to be mean). I get every excuse not to and why they just can't. Please give me some tips. Many blessings always Tabitha B.

4/10/2008 8:31:41 AM
nbell said: i was looking for material to reflect the direction i felt the nursery should go and i appreciate a straight forward no frills outline! i am a new nursery diretor. i am 45 and have a 16 month baby, yes a huge life change. i am now comfronted with the reality that without leadership in the nursery it is merely babysitting. i want to change that and therefore, i am now in charge!haha thank you for outlining basic information i can begin with. God bless you, nancy bell

3/20/2008 9:30:39 AM
hopechurch said: I want to thank you for such a clean, vivid picture of how the nursery is more than just babysitting. As a newly appointed Nursery Director, this article has helped me immensely. Hearing someone voice my exact thought on the nursery being more than just a child holding room but an actual ministry is very encouraging.

2/28/2008 2:51:42 PM
teri said: Very good