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Childcare at St. John's
The purpose of our church childcare is to provide exceptional care in a safe, well-staffed, loving environment that empowers parents to freely worship with total confidence in the care their little ones are receiving. St. John’s childcare program is staffed by both volunteers and paid staff who have all passed a background check and are certified annually to be compliant with our church's Safer Sanctuary Policy. Click here for a short introduction to our Safer Sanctuaries training program. Click here for more information on our Health and Safety Policies for the children in our care.
Children's Chapel
9:30 & 11:00AM Worship services
(Ages 5-5th grade)
We believe in loving God and loving others. We believe the Bible can be exciting, worship can be fun, and relationships are important. We want kids to be a big and active part of our United Methodist Church family which is filled with adventure, love, and joy in the midst of everyday life.
Children will begin worship with their families during our 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services. During the Offering, they are invited to go upstairs and experience Children’s Chapel time. Families will pick up children from the Children’s Chapel room upstairs following each service. Children are not allowed to leave until picked up by a family member/guardian.
Nursery
9:30 & 11:00am Worship Services
6 Weeks Old through Age 4
Younger children (6 weeks old through age 4) will be cared for in the Nursery located downstairs during our 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Sunday worship services. The Nursery opens at 9:15 a.m. for drop off. Families must complete the required sign-in sheet each time their children stay in the Nursery. Little ones will get to enjoy play time, crafts, and possibly outdoor play (weather permitting & sunscreen previously applied by family). All Nursery children must be signed out as required when picked up
Do You Have a Check-in System?
All children who stay in our Nursery at any time must be checked in and out using the system currently available in our Nursery.
Child Health & Safety Policies
Well-Child Policy
We request that children not be brought to childcare if they have suffered from any of the following symptoms in the past 24 hours:
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Fever or the need to control a fever with medication
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A runny nose with yellow or green mucus
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Discharge in or around the eyes and/or pink eye
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A red throat or earache
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Unexplained, contagious, or questionable rash or skin eruption
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Swollen neck glands
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Nausea or upset stomach, possibly including diarrhea and/or vomiting
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Excessive coughing
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Flu symptoms
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Any communicable disease
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If your child is being treated with an antibiotic, they should have received treatment for at least 24 hours before coming to nursery. If your child becomes ill while in nursery, you will be notified promptly. For your child’s protection, we ask our nursery staff to follow these same guidelines.
Medications
We ask that all parents/guardians provide their children with the necessary medications. SJUMC Nursery staff cannot administer ANY medication including, but not limited to, prescription drugs, vitamins, cough drops, over-the-counter drugs, and/or sunscreen. If parents/guardians have not applied sunscreen BEFORE the child is dropped off, then that child will not be allowed to go out to the outdoor playground during their Nursery stay. For concerns about more immediate and necessary medications such as Epi-Pens or inhalers, please contact the Director of Children’s and Family Ministries, Angela Lybarger, at childrensdirector@stjohns-abq.org.
Snack Policy
Due to the sensitive nature of food allergies, we generally do not allow snacks during Children's Chapel. Parents of Nursery children are asked to provide bottles or necessary snacks for their young children, keeping in mind that we are a nut-free facility.
