Child Abuse Prevention Policies
YMCA Board of Directors - The YMCA requires the Board of Directors to not only participate at high access level volunteers but also to ensure that they are trained in abuse prevention and committed to keeping children safe at the YMCA.
5 Days of Action - 5 Days of Action is the Y Movement's unified week of action to educate our staff, members, and partners on how to prevent child abuse. At the YMCA of Central Ohio, we take the month of April to provide staff with annual training, refamiliarize and recommit themselves to our child abuse prevention policies, practices, and processes. Learn more about required trainings for the 2025 5 Days of Action.
Child Abuse Reporting - Important contact information for abuse reporting by the YMCA.
Red Flag Behaviors and Organizational Response - A guide for recognizing red flag behaviors that may exist and what needs to be reported.
Employee, Supervisor and Administrator Response to Allegations of Abuse - A guide for procedures for Employees, Supervisors and Administrators to respond to suspected abuse.
A Victim-Centered Response Plan - Guidance for staff and volunteers to a victim-centered response to survivors.
Contracts - YMCA of Central Ohio requirements for all contracts, agreements, and vendors.
Sharing our Abuse Prevention Policies and Procedures with Members, Program Participants and Families and Grievance Procedures - How to share our abuse prevention policies with families, how they might file a grievance if they notice something that doesn't seem to align with our policies along with examples that may be used.
Diapering Standards (PDF) - For programs that provide diapering, the following standards are expected at all times by employees.
Quick Checks and Facility Monitoring Checklist - Facility monitoring checklist for ensuring that branch operations are regularly evaluated for potential risks.
Program Surveys - It is vital that we consistently survey our participants / families to ensure that we are meeting their goals and give them an opportunity to give feedback on how we might improve.
Creating New Programs - All new programs must meet certain requirements for how we work with children. The following checklist must be submitted along with the pro-forma for any new youth-serving program to our CFO, the VP of the area of the new program, and Risk Management.
Program Participant Code of Conduct (Adult / Child / Volunteer) - All youth-serving programs must have the code of conduct distributed for each participant or leader. Examples are provided.
Child Abuse Prevention Page on our Website - This page exists externally for everyone in the community to view at any time. This page must be frequently updated for new information, nudges for staff teams, and information sharing, as appropriate.
Volunteer Screening and Management Policies - Every volunteer for the YMCA of Central Ohio falls into a level that requires different items based on their role and access to participants.
Interview and Hiring New YMCA Employees - Interviewing and hiring standards for all YMCA leaders are provided along with standardized interview questions.
Fingerprint and Background Check Information (P&C) - It is imperative that all employees are fingerprinted and background screened prior to working at a YMCA location. This policy and procedure provide the guidance to ensure success in meeting that goal.
Drug Testing Policy and Procedure - If a YMCA employee is suspected of drug or alcohol use while at a YMCA location, this policy should be followed along with the notification of the Executive Director of that program.
Staff and Volunteers Reporting Concerns (P&C) - Staff and volunteers of the YMCA are not only mandated reporters but are also required to report any concerns that they may have or things that they have witnessed that do not align with our core values and code of conduct.
Registered Sex Offenders - Nationwide Membership Screening - All YMCA members are screened through Nationwide Membership regularly and reports are sent to assigned individuals to either provide additional information to determine if an offender has been issued a membership or to cancel a membership that is already in place.
Registered Sex Offenders - Raptor and Daxko - Any person that has been confirmed as a registered sex offender must be issued a "Serious Offender Membership" and marked accordingly in Daxko.
The YMCA of Central Ohio's Abuse Prevention Training Plan - The YMCA of Central Ohio requires all employees and high-access volunteers to complete foundational abuse prevention training prior to having access to consumers. The YMCA of Central Ohio requires all employees and high-access volunteers to complete abuse prevention training annually and requires all supervisors to complete training in effective supervision practices related to abuse risk management.
There are a wide variety of methods and avenues that our YMCA utilizes to share information about abuse prevention and our commitment to protecting children. Additional training plans will continue to be added, as necessary.