Anacortes Community Theatre/ Minors policy

 

The protection and well-being of children under the age of 18 is a priority to Anacortes Community Theatre, which is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for Minors.  The intent of this policy is to provide clear guidelines for working with Minors in any ACT activity, whether that activity is on the premises or offsite.

 

Definitions

 

Minor : refers to any participant in an ACT production under the age of 18.

 

Authorized  Adults: refers to all individuals ages 18 or over, paid or unpaid, who instruct, supervise or oversee Minors in any production at ACT.

 

Adults: refers to all individuals ages 18 or over, including, but not limited to, production  team, crew, volunteers, and anyone else who participates in any activity that includes Minors.

 

Written consent

 

Completed written consent forms from a parent or guardian are required prior to a Minor’s participation in any theatre activities. The required consent forms will include the Participation Agreement and the Medical Information Form.

All  information about a Minor provided by a parent or guardian will be kept confidential and only be accessible during the activity.

 

Background check/Code of Conduct

 

Any Authorized Adult or adults working  or in contact with Minors in an ACT activity must pass a background check, and adhere to ACT’s established Code of Conduct including:

  • Maintaining professional boundaries at all times.
  • Avoid any behavior that could be construed as inappropriate
  • Immediately reporting observed or reported incidents or concerns of inappropriate behavior to the Director, Stage Manager, or Instructor.

 

Supervision

 

All Minors must stay inside ACT facilities while participating in an ACT activity and be supervised at all times.  Minors must wait inside the facility to be picked up by a parent or guardian and the parent or guardian must sign the Minor in with the Director,  Stage Manager or Instructor upon arrival and sign out with one of them when leaving.  Similarly, any Minor driving themself to and from an ACT activity must sign in with the Director, Stage Manager, or Instructor  upon arrival and sign out with one of them when  leaving. Failure to follow the sign in/sign out rules will result in a warning and continued failure may result in dismissal.

 

In addition:

 

  • Adults shall never spend one on one time with a Minor.
  • Individual coaching of a Minor must be conducted in a space that is open and accessible at all times.
  • No Minor shall be transported in an unauthorized vehicle, without express written permission in advance from a parent or guardian.

 

Reporting

 

Instances- observed or reported- of inappropriate interaction by any individual with a Minor must be reported immediately to the Director,  Stage Manager or Instructor, who will insure the safety of the Minor.  Such instances must be communicated to the Executive Director as soon as possible (and in no event later than 24 hours after being reported) and include all relevant details of the incident. Note that instances involving Minor-to-Minor inappropriate interaction should follow the same procedure.

 

The ACT Executive Director will take the following actions:

 

  • Immediately notify the Minor’s parent or guardian.
  • Immediately notify the Board President (or Vice President in the President’s absence).
  • Interview involved parties and prepare an incident report for the Board, with recommended actions.

 

 

 

The Board is responsible for taking any  further action on any reported incident. During the time between the incident and the Board’s final determination, the person against whom the allegations are alleged will be suspended from all ACT  activities.  The Board reserves the right to remove the person from participation in any current or future activity, temporarily or permanently.  In keeping with relevant law, authorities may be notified.

 

This policy will be reviewed and revised as necessary by the Board of Directors