Child Protection At Our Y
Safety Is Our Top Priority
The safety and well-being of children in the care of our Y is, and always will be, our top priority.
Understanding the facts about child sexual abuse is crucial for addressing abuse and informing prevention efforts, policy decisions, and support services.
We know that today
- 1 in 10 children are sexually abused before their 18th birthday.
- There are more than 60 million adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse in the U.S. yet, 80% never reported their abuse.
- False reports are rare. Research shows that less than 5% of child sexual abuse reports are fabricated.
Sources: Darkness to Light and Praesidium
Our Commitment to Child Protection
As a youth-serving organization that reaches over thousand’s of children and teens every year, the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County most important work is creating safe environments for young people. That any child or teen would experience harm in our care is unacceptable. Ensuring the safety and well-being of young people is foundational to everything we do at the Y to help them learn, grow, and thrive. When we all take action, abuse is preventable. Read our Child Abuse Prevention Policy and our Code of Conduct.
How We Create Safe Spaces For Children and Teens
As an organization, we have taken the following actions to keep kids safe in our Y facilities, camps, and programs and maintain the reputation of safety we have built during our 175-year history:
All new employees and volunteers undergo a background check prior to hiring, and they must provide three references. All staff and volunteers must also go through new checks on a biannual basis, or if they’re returning to the Y after a 90-day break or transferring into a licensed program. Our members and guests are also screened through Daxko system daily that integrates with The National Sex Offender Registry.
Comprehensive online and in-person child abuse prevention training is mandatory for all YMCA employees and volunteers, and they are required to refresh their training annually. The goal is to educate on inappropriate conduct, while also teaching the warning signs of abuse.
Should any allegation arise, the YMCA will proactively work with the authorities and all parties involved to respond promptly, thoroughly, and empathetically.
The YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward child abuse and child endangerment, and staff are to report any questionable behavior they see or violations of their Employee Code of Conduct.
To ensure we continuously uphold the highest standards in child safety and protection, we have developed internal teams that routinely audit our operations, and utilize the Praesidium assessment tool developed by Praesidium, a consulting firm that specializes in abuse prevention and risk management.
How You Can Help Prevent Child Abuse
At the Y, child abuse prevention is a 365-day effort. During Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, we encourage parents and caregivers to participate in the Five Days of Action – a weeklong campaign to raise awareness of child sexual abuse and empower and equip our communities to prevent it. By taking part in this important campaign and implementing abuse prevention practices year-round, we can all commit to the safety of children in our care.
The Know. See. Respond. campaign ties in three impact areas – preventing child sexual abuse at summer camp, in youth sports, and on the internet. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, U.S. Center for SafeSport , and Praesidium have shared resources to support this campaign.
Child Protection Resources
Learn more about steps everyone can take to help create a culture of safety and prevent child sexual abuse:
Resources For Survivors
Learn more about organizations providing support to survivors of child sexual abuse and their families: