Protecting children at the Y

The YMCA stand committed to providing a safe environment to every person who enters our doors, most importantly children who are entrusted to our care. We have a series of measures in place to keep kids safe. Our child protection policies are developed using the Praesidium Safety Equation framework. Specifically, the YMCA:

• Conduct criminal history and sex offender registry checks are conducted on staff and volunteers.
• Conducts staff reference checks which include questions on the applicant’s suitability to work with children.
• Conducts staff interview utilizing behavioral based questions.
• Requires staff and volunteers to complete training on preventing, recognizing and responding to abuse. staff go through refresher training annually.
• Requires staff and volunteers to agree to our child safety code of conduct which includes rules such as:
  • Prohibits staff and volunteers from being alone with a child; interactions must be observable and interruptible.
  • Restricts staff and volunteer contact with children outside of YMCA programs (including babysitting, social networking, offering additional practices, etc.).
  • Provides acceptable and unacceptable physical and verbal interactions.
  • Require allegations or suspicions of abuse be reported to the proper authorities in accordance with Indiana law.
• Provides anonymous ways for staff, volunteers and the community to report rule breaking or concerns to senior leadership.
• We continually evaluate and improve our child safe practices by conducting an in-depth child abuse prevention self-assessment using Know Your Score every two years.
• Conducts screenings of YMCA members against the National Sex Offender Registry.
• We share our policies with parents and the community to create a network that is equipped to know, see, and respond!