The children and youth worker application form is part of the process Community of Christ uses to screen those who wish to work directly with children and young people. Anyone working with children/youth in church programs (youth leader, Sunday school teacher, camp counselor, etc.) must be a registered children and youth worker/children and youth worker assistant.
As a part of the registration/application process, it is required that all persons complete the Child Protection Core Training. Contact your pastor or a member of the Youth and Young Adult Commission for training dates.
It is important to note that those applying are not registered until Legal Services at International Headquarters checks and authenticates the forms. The intent of the application is to help the church provide a safe and secure environment for young people and to help identify and use the gifts and skills of applicants.
- Once the applicant completes the application, it should be given to the pastor. The pastor will contact the references listed and personally interview the applicant to determine whether the person is suitable to become a registered children and youth worker/children and youth worker assistant. In rare instances a camp director may complete the interviews. This always should be done with the pastor’s knowledge.
- Once the pastor has completed the application form, it must be sent to the mission center president/financial officer for review. If comfortable with the applicant becoming a registered children and youth worker/children and youth worker assistant, the president/financial officer will sign in the appropriate place.
- Mission center presidents should ensure the applicant’s details are entered into Shelby before sending the application to Legal Services at Headquarters. In this way legal staff can add children and youth worker/children and youth worker assistant status when completed. Legal Services will try to contact the mission center with confirmation of registration as soon as possible.
- The mission center president will then send the forms to Legal Services for review, and the registered youth worker status will be entered into the Shelby profile. If a period longer than six months elapses between application and receipt at Legal Services, the forms must be resubmitted.
- If successful, those 15–20 years old will be registered as children and youth worker assistant, those 21 and older as youth workers.