We have limited workers available to help man our Sunday school van routes. What should we do if no van attendant is available?

The “two adult rule” is a basic safety requirement that is non-negotiable, according to what we have learned from our insurance provider.  Here are some suggestions that may help you meet that requirement.

• Have a substitute van attendant who can be called to assist if a regular van attendant is ill or out of town.
• Ask any certified worker to help out on a one-time, emergency basis.
• One adult is allowed to be alone with children as long as more than one child is present (similar to a public school setting.) Take along one or two of your own children so you meet this standard.
• Arrange your van route(s) so the first on/last off are a sibling group so that no single child is left with the van driver. If one child from the sibling group is ill (thus leaving one child alone with the driver), the driver should call a certified worker or the church when he/she is about to drop off the next-to-the-last rider and keep his phone on and beside him during the remainder of the ride until the final child is dropped off. The driver should provide a running verbal commentary as he drives, documenting the time of drop off for the next-to-the-last rider, the route he is driving to his final stop, and the time of drop off of the last rider. He should then attach a note describing the date, time, certified worker, and duration of his call onto the weekly van record.
• If the unavailability of a van attendant is a regular situation, consider installing a bus camcorder to document each trip. (These weekly tapes would need to be stored.)