Sunday Assembly Childcare Coordinator Guidelines
A few weeks before Sunday Assembly:
-Find out names and contact info for any potential childcare center volunteers (ask Volunteer Coordinator). Parents and other adults can volunteer without background checks at discretion. Ideally, at least one person has some current First Aid/ CPR training and has had formal education and/or experience related to early education and/or childcare.
-Contact potential volunteers, get commitments, and confirm that you have as many as you need (four minimum, more if you expect more children than 8 or so. That allows for one to flake and you still have three.) Give directions, hours you expect them to be at center, etc.
Day of Sunday Assembly:
-Show up early, open up childcare center, set out activity stations for children so there is something engaging ready to be interacted with. (see below)
-Greet and orient volunteers according to Childcare Volunteer Cheat Sheet and check-in procedures. Assign duties. Denote who is head volunteer (in charge) based on experience, comfort, interest, etc. Make special note to train potential future coordinators!
-Open up for check-in before assembly begins, run program, check-out all children afterward
-Clean up, put everything away, debrief for any issues to work on and you’re done!
Specific to Sacramento Sunday Assembly:
-Volunteering once for Childcare Coordinator in no way obligates you for any other months. Please communicate which months you are volunteering for, so nobody assumes incorrectly!
-Recruit most volunteers from Camp Quest West former staff, who have already been background checked, CPR certified, etc. Ask David Diskin for contact list.
-Check-in binder (includes program details/ check-in waivers, coordinator guidelines, volunteer cheat sheet, incident reports, coloring pages), neon green wristbands, and sign for center door are located in the back bin on the bottom shelf of the storage room, to the left as you enter. It’s marked on all sides: Sunday Assembly Childcare. Also in that bin is a grocery bag full of all diapering supplies, if needed. You can use library to change diapers, as disposable changing mats are included and bathrooms have no changing stations. Any art supplies in there are up for grabs.
-The baby gate is currently behind the door of the Youth Activity Room, (where we host Childcare each month). Set it up in the doorway right before check-in and check-out. Take it out and close the door the rest of the time, for noise. You have to really squeeze to get the inner gate shut (so small hands aren’t strong enough to open it).
-Legos, games, pattern blocks, markers and paper and other enrichment materials are currently stored in the Youth Activity Room. Set up whichever activities you like.
-We open check-in ten minutes before the assembly starts and close it ten minutes after it ends. Our program is currently for ages 3 and up, and we encourage children over ten to attend the assembly, but they don’t have to! Assemblies generally run 45 minutes to an hour and fifteen minutes, so that is about how long you must plan to supervise children.