Welcome Visiting Families!

We are so happy you are thinking about visiting the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. In-person Sunday morning programming for children and youth is offered from the second Sunday of September through the second Sunday of June. Read more about our Spiritual Exploration programs for children and youth.

We are happy to welcome you to our Sunday Morning programming for children. If you contact our Director of Spiritual Exploration, Caitlin Frauton, she will be happy to meet with you and your child(ren), to arrange for you to visit our space ahead of time or help welcome and get you settled during your first visit.

Your Family’s First Visit to UCM

Here are some things that are helpful for your first visit:

1. Read – Read the age group/program descriptions to get a sense about which of our programs would be a good fit for your family.

1. Register – Please register your family using our 2026-2027 Registration Form.
2. Reach Out – Use our contact form to connect with our Director of Spiritual Exploration, Caitlin Frauton, who will be glad to help you get settled on your first day. Parents and caregivers are always welcome to stay with children during any of our programs, which can be particularly helpful as little ones adjust to a new environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to complete the registration before my child may attend?

It is not necessary to complete the registration on your first visit as we always welcome visitors, but we encourage you to complete a registration form before your second visit. It will help us provide your child with the best possible experience, as a matter of safety, and to keep informed of upcoming programming. Here is the 2026-2027 Registration Form.

Can I stay with my child?

Yes, we encourage parents and caregivers to stay with children until they feel comfortable attending Spiritual Exploration programming on their own. Conversely, if your child is ready to jump right in, we welcome that, too. We recognize that each family has their own settling in process, and our goal is to honor and support that unique process for your family. You are also more than welcome to have your child stay with you during service anytime, and we have a monthly All Ages service, which is specifically designed with children and youth in mind so that families care share in the worship experience together.

Can siblings of different ages attend together?

Yes, siblings can be a great source of comfort for one another in a new space, and our program is designed to offer flexibility so that siblings can participate in our Spiritual Exploration programming together. There is no age “cut off” for our nursery (ages 0-3+) or Children’s Chapel (Grades PreK – 1+) programs in order to let families choose what spaces might work best for their family. With that said, each space is designed with the development needs of that age group in mind (you can read more about our offerings here), so it also can be helpful to consider what space will best serve the needs of each child. In the Children’s Chapel, we do ask that any children who are not yet in preschool, be accompanied by an adult for safety reasons.

Do you have a nursery?

We have nursery care available starting at 9:45am.  We hope having fifteen minutes before worship begins helps you transition your child into that space. You are welcome for your child to stay in the nursery until the service has ended or stay with them until you both feel comfortable. We have a fabulous, warm and loving nursery staff. The nursery is always staffed by two people – either two adults or an adult and youth team.  There is a sign-in sheet and you’ll receive a pager in case we need to to contact you during service. We also have rocking chairs in the back of sanctuary if you’d rather attend service with your little one, or the Fireplace Room downstairs where there is both audio and visual streaming of the service upstairs.

Who are your Spiritual Exploration volunteers?

Many of our Spiritual Exploration volunteers have been part of our congregation for decades and some have even raised their own children as part of our UCM community. In general, our volunteers are a mix of longtime (and often lifelong) Unitarian Universalists who share a wealth of wisdom and experience and newer people to our congregation, often with their own children, who bring a fresh perspective and new ideas. Like our larger congregation, our Spiritual Exploration volunteers are a reflection of multigenerational community with diverse backgrounds and experiences. All are committed to our mission of helping children, youth, and their families cultivate their spirituality, practice love as action, and ensuring children and youth know that they matter deeply to our community and the world.

Do you screen your volunteers?

In our congregation we take the safe care of our children very seriously.  We have many policies in place to help us do our best to ensure the safety of your child(ren).  Volunteers who work with children and youth need to have attended UCM for at least 6 months.  (Many have been members for decades.)  New volunteers must submit two references that are checked by our Dir. of Lifespan Spiritual Exploration.  All of the volunteers have been trained in our Sexual Abuse Prevention Education and Response (SAPER) policy. They have also signed our Code of Conduct agreement and had a criminal background check done on them. We make sure there are always two adults with a group of kids/youth.  Check out our Operational Policies page to learn more about our Sexual Abuse Prevention policy (Tip: selecting the Sexual Abuse Prevention SNAPSHOT link is the quick, reader friendly version of the longer policy).

What should I do if I have other questions?

Your questions are always welcome. Feel free to contact us at any time with questions,  comments, or concerns.