With the best interests of children as the primary consideration

The expected standard for a member of the Family International responsible for the care of minors at TFI fellowships, programs, classes, camps, activities, or in projects or programs related to TFI member works that involve minors should in common sense apply the following:

Communication

• Treat all children and teens with dignity and respect in attitude, language, and actions.
• Be inclusive and involve all children without exclusion on the basis of gender, culture, disability, ethnicity, or race.
• Be fair in their relationship with children. Avoid favoring particular children to the exclusion of others.
• Never develop a relationship with a child or teenager that could be deemed inappropriate or abusive.
• Be particularly careful, as a male adult, of any interactions with forward young females. Female adults similarly need to be careful with forward young males.

Supervision

• Whenever possible have two adults present when with a group of children.
• Avoid being on alone with a minor. When counseling a child or teen and confidentiality is important ensure that someone else in the vicinity knows that the interview is taking place.
• Avoid taking a group of children off the premises with fewer than two adults.
• Allow a responsible teen under the age of 18 years caring for children only with direct supervision of an accompanying adult.

Physical contact

• Be wise concerning physical contact with children. Physical contact is discouraged in circumstances where an adult and child are alone.
• Avoid doing things for children of a personal nature that they can do for themselves (such as dressing, bathing, and toilet).
• Never smack, hit, or physically discipline a child. A child may be restrained only if there is an immediate danger of personal injury to the child or another person.
• Avoid behaving in a manner which could be construed as inappropriate or sexually provocative.

Safety and environment

• Be mindful of the safety of the children at all times and in all circumstances.
• Develop clear rules to address specific physical safety issues relative to the local physical environment of a project or program (e.g. for programs based near water, heavy road traffic, railway lines, etc.).
• Never condone behavior of children which is illegal, unsafe, or abusive.

Peer interaction

• Be aware of the potential for peer abuse (e.g. bullying, discriminating against, victimizing, or abusing other children).
• Be aware of high-risk peer situations (e.g. unsupervised mixing of older and younger children).