Yichud and Physical Contact — Volunteers for Children with Special Needs
Question
Good afternoon,
I am a coordinator in a charitable organization for children with special needs. I would appreciate a file that gathers the halachot of yichud and physical contact between a child with special needs and a female volunteer.
Are age, level of functioning, level of communication, level of understanding relevant? What is considered a need, etc.?
I would also appreciate an answer to a specific question:
A volunteer needs to be with a child with special needs for 4–5 hours in the evening.
The child is autistic, with an age-appropriate level of understanding and a low level of functioning.
The child has an obsession with running away, and therefore there are 2! doors to the house, each with a code lock.
The child’s parents will not be in the city at that time.
I would appreciate an answer as to whether there is any halachic permission for this.
Answer
Shalom u’vracha.
The general ruling is as follows:
Physical contact — technical contact is permitted; affectionate contact is forbidden.
Yichud — forbidden.
A locked house — if there is no one expected to enter there at that time who has the code, it is forbidden to be there with him.
