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Child
abuse is a serious national problem. YMCAs are
especially vulnerable to the possibilities of child abuse because of the
large number of children that pass through our programs on a daily basis.
Because of this, the YMCA has a strong moral, legal and financial obligation to
protect the children in our care from abuse. Given the nature of who
we serve, our organization is especially appealing to potential child
abusers. It is important that we be as rigorous as possible in screening out potential
offenders, and that we train and supervise staff and volunteers to eliminate
occurrences of abuse. The safety of the children we serve must be our
primary concern. For this reason, the Long Branch Area YMCA will begin
conducting various screening activities, such as: criminal background checks,
reference checks, signed code of conduct, and child abuse prevention training,
for volunteers who work with children.
The YMCA also will keep written documentation
evidencing successful
completion of the Child Abuse Prevention Training in
each of our staff
member's personnel file who works with children.
The YMCA hereby advises and notifies parents of youth
participants
that we have a staff code of conduct, and that parents
should report any suspicious activity to the Program Director or
Executive Director. YMCA Staff are not allowed to have planned, one-on-one
contact with YMCA youth participants when they are off duty.
Our coaches meetings will now be mandatory, as each
volunteer coach
must review the Child Abuse Prevention brochure and
sign authorization for a criminal background check at the coaches
meeting. Coaches will not receive their official team shirt until these two requirements
are met. We recognize that this may be a small inconvenience for
you; however, the payoff of protecting our children is worth the effort.
And, as parents, we can feel more assured that the
YMCA is taking a
proactive effort to protect our young people.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact
me at the
YMCA. The Child Abuse Prevention Brochure is
available at the YMCA.
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