Gateway Kids is Open – Starting April 4

March 16, 2021

Starting April 4th, Gateway Kids will be open following all public health guidance and previous safety measures (outlined below), and will be operating as a kids worship service.

As before, Parents are welcome to have their children join us for Gateway Kids in-person on a Sunday or to keep their children with us while seated at one of our family pods or in the foyer.

Please note that Gateway Kids will be operating on a first-come first-serve basis, following the 15% capacity limitation for our kids rooms. If you are unable to check your kid into Gateway Kids due to our capacity being reached, we will provide you with kids activities to use at one of our family pods.

Before attending (if you haven’t already, please take a second to fill out this permission form.

If you choose to have your child attend Gateway Kids, please read the following information and follow the instructions to help ensure the safety of our Gateway Kids Family.

We are implementing a temperature check for each attending child and will conduct symptom screening before attending programming as per the guidelines from the government. Staff members, parents/guardians and children must not attend any programming if they are sick, even if symptoms resemble a mild cold.

Before joining us in-person, please pay attention to these instructions:

• Do not attend if any of the following apply*:
• You are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19,
• You have travelled internationally in the past 14 days, or
• You have been in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case in the past 14 days.
• Do not attend if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms: Cough, fever, shortness of breath, runny nose, sore throat
• Before attending, use the Alberta Self-Assessment Tool and follow its instructions. Do not attend in-person if you feel unwell.
  *Please note – failure to comply with these requirements jeopardizes other people’s safety, and could subject you to penalties under Alberta Law. Should any of these conditions apply to you, please remain at home and contact HealthLink (811) for further guidance.

If you are considered High-Risk – please use Personal Protective Equipment (mask, gloves, etc) if attending in-person, or continue attending online. We also have masks available at the Greeters desk upon request.

In accordance with current health regulations, Alberta is requiring all people (ages 2+) to wear a face covering at all times while in an indoor public space. As such, Gateway will be making masks available at the Greeters Desk & Info Desk upon request.

You are exempt from wearing a mask if:

• You are unable to place, use, or remove a face covering without assistance (this may include toddlers who are unable to keep their masks on)
• You are unable to wear a face covering due to a mental or physical concern or limitation, or protected ground under Alberta Human Rights act
• You are providing care or assistance to a person with a disability where a face covering would hinder that care-giving or assistance
• While outside of the church building, including kids brought outside for Gateway Kids

Unless exempt, all children attending Gateway Kids are required to wear a mask.

We have implemented a number of program changes and safety measures to help ensure the safety of our Gateway Kids and families. Please review these carefully, and follow each of their recommendations.

Program Changes

During this season of Gateway Kids, our programming will look quite different from a typical Sunday.

• Programming
  • Gateway Kids programming will only be available to children ages 2 to grade 5. At this time, all children younger than two years of age are not permitted to attend our kids programs.
  • We will be offering two different kids rooms;
    • Adventurers (Preschoolers ages 2-5), and
    • Pathfinders (Elementary grades 1- 5)
  • Each room will operate within the 15% capacity limitation provided by Alberta Health Services, and there will be no interaction between the different rooms.
  • Upon arrival at church, all kids must be checked into their rooms and will start the service in their rooms. There will be no kids dismissal during the service. Children will be expected to stay with the group throughout the whole service, and will not be permitted to rejoin the group should they choose to leave during the service.
  • Upon entry into the rooms, kids will be required to wash their hands.
  • Snacks will no longer be provided, however paper cups will be available should the kids need water.
  • All GatewayKids volunteers are required to wear masks throughout the entirety of our kids programming in order to protect your children.
• Social Distancing
  Each room will operate as a cohort, encouraging two meter social distancing whenever possible by providing socially distanced activities and going outside whenever possible.
  • All activities during the program will be modified to accommodate social distancing, and will avoid…
    • Anything that encourages children to cluster or congregate in a small area.
    • Anything that involves shared surfaces or frequently touched objects.
  • All close greetings (hugs, handshakes, physical touch) will be avoided, instead physically distanced greetings such as air fives and waves will be encouraged.
  • Each child will be assigned a mat or chair that is appropriately distanced from other children for the lesson.
• Cleaning
  • All high-touch and shared surfaces and equipment will be frequently and thoroughly cleaned before, during, and after each service.
  • All equipment and items that will be shared between people will be disinfected before and after each use.
  • Each room will have designated equipment for use within that room.

Two Meter Social Distancing is mandatory, and as such we have done everything possible to help make this as simple as possible. Gateway Kids will operate out of the Kids Hallway, with access through the West Doors (by the bathroom). No one except kids and kids volunteers will be allowed to enter/exit through this hallway.

• Kids Check-In
  Kids Checkin will be set-up at the West Kids Doors (by the bathrooms) in the Kids Hallway. This will also function as the entrance and exit for Gateway Kids and Volunteers.
  • The Check-In desk will be manned by a volunteer, who will ensure a high level of cleanliness at our check-in stations. After each use, each Check-in station will be wiped down and disinfected.
  • At Check-In, children will be visually screened and will have their temperature checked with a no-touch temperature reader to ensure compliance with Alberta Law. Should a child appear ill or have a fever, they will be turned away. We reserve the right to turn away any child in accordance with our Turnaway Measures (listed below).
  • During drop-off and pickup, we ask that one designated parent/guardian pick up and drop off their child(ren), and that they remain at the entrance of the kids wing and maintain two-meter distancing at all times.
• Bathrooms
  • Each of our Gateway Kids rooms is equipped with their own washroom, which will be thoroughly cleaned before and after each service. Throughout the services, volunteers will wipe down high touch areas of the bathrooms. We ask everyone to use the bathroom before coming to church, and avoid using the bathrooms unless necessary.

The church will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before and after each service in accordance with all government regulations. High-touch/shared surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, toilet handles, faucets, taps and toys/kids equipment, will be cleaned and disinfected throughout the service. 

We reserve the right to turn anyone away from the church if they appear to be sick or in violation of any public health orders. This will be strictly enforced so as to ensure the health and safety of our church family. Should an issue arise where someone is asked to leave but refuses, local law enforcement will be notified in accordance with Alberta Law.

While we will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of you and your family, we remind everyone that you are ultimately responsible for doing your part in order to ensure your safety. We strongly encourage everyone to follow each of these guidelines, as they will help protect both you, your family, and everyone around you at Gateway.

By attending Gateway in-person, you agree that Gateway cannot be held responsible for any potential exposure to COVID-19 at one of our services.

Should we be informed of potential exposure to COVID-19 at one of our services, we will immediately inform the entire church via email, and request that anyone who attended that service get tested for COVID-19.