Show love by hosting a Kids' Night Out

This February we encourage churches to take an opportunity to show love towards adoptive parents, grandparents, foster parents or any caregiver within your congregation by hosting a Kids’ Night Out.  Show your love by providing caregivers a worry-free night out with a spouse or significant other while the kids are having a safe, fun-filled night at the church. Being a caregiver, especially of kids who’ve experienced trauma, can be a difficult job. Here are some steps to consider when planning. 

• Children - What ages and how many children can you serve at this event?
• Space - What rooms and areas will you need to accommodate the children attending?
• Calendar - When are the rooms available? How long will the event go?
• Activities and Food - What activities will you provide for the children? What is needed for those activities? Will you also provide a meal or snack?
• Volunteers - They will absolutely need background checks and you will need to follow the church's policies regarding child care.
• Volunteer Training - We recommend some trauma-informed training for volunteers regarding so they can effectively care for kids who have trauma induced behaviors.  Partner with Project 1.27 to provide Trauma Informed Volunteer Training for your staff.
• Registration - What registration system will you use? What forms are needed to ensure that you receive necessary parent and child information? Will the child need one-on-one care? Does the child have special needs, allergies, or a diagnosis of which the caregivers need to be aware? 
• Waivers and Liability Releases - Parents must sign these before dropping the kids off at the event. Check your church policies on this. 
• Check-In/Out - It’s imperative to have a system in place for secure checking in and checking the children out when parents return.
• Cost - As you’re planning the Kids Night Out event, you may also consider whether or not there will be a charge for parents to help cover the costs of the event.  

For additional information on holding a Kid’s Night Out visit our church resources page.

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