Draft for review by the Regional Training Institute Board and the clearance office. Confirm that every linked form is current and open to the public before publication.
Children, junior youth, and youth are a trust the whole community shares. Everyone who serves with them in Bahá’í community-building activities, whether as a teacher, animator, tutor, or helper, follows the National Spiritual Assembly’s Policy for the Protection of Children, Junior Youth and Youth. This page sets out what that involves and links to the forms, so that anyone thinking of volunteering, and anyone who wants to know how activities are kept safe, can see the requirements.
Before you serve
Before serving in an activity with minors:
- Request a background check. Every volunteer completes one. Submit the volunteer clearance request.
- Complete training in the policy. See Training for sessions. While you continue to serve, retake the full training every two years and complete a refresher every year.
- Complete mandated reporter training for your state, then email your certificate of completion to the clearance office at clearance@heartlandrbc.org.
Policies and guidance
- Policy for the Protection of Children, Junior Youth and Youth, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States (July 2024)
- Guiding principles and standards pertaining to the protection of minors
- Heartland planning guide: the Regional Training Institute Board’s working document for applying the policy when planning activities
Planning an activity with minors
Register each activity involving minors with the activity registration form. Submit it to the nearest Local Spiritual Assembly or to the Regional Training Institute Board.
If an ongoing educational activity needs permission slips, medical releases, or liability releases, email the clearance office at clearance@heartlandrbc.org with:
- the name of the activity and a short description
- the names and contact details of its facilitators and coordinators
- its days, times, and location
- anything else the office should know
If an incident occurs
Send the completed report to the institution sponsoring the activity.
- General liability incident report, for accidental harm or injury
- Automobile liability incident report, for an incident involving a vehicle
Training
Online training in the policy is offered periodically. Check the training calendar, then sign up with the training request form. You can also use the form to ask for another date.
If you completed the training within the last two years, this refresher presentation reviews its key points. It is also useful to go through with volunteers before camps, conferences, and other events.
Mandated reporter training by state:
- Illinois, from the Department of Children and Family Services
- Minnesota, from the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy
- Wisconsin, from the Department of Public Instruction
Email your certificate of completion to clearance@heartlandrbc.org.
Questions
Send questions about the protection of minors, clearance, or these forms to the regional clearance office at clearance@heartlandrbc.org or to the Council Secretariat at secretariat@heartlandrbc.org. If an email link does not open, copy the address into your email application.