Safe Environment Strategies: Technology
In the past, youth-serving organizations needed to worry about safety only within the physical environment—the building(s) where their services…
Home / Screening & Hiring / Screening Toolbox: Observation of the Applicant & Home Assessment
When possible, it can be informative to observe an applicant in your environment with the child(ren) and youth you serve, to look for potential red flags. If this is done pre-hire, and before the background checks are complete, make sure the individual is supervised and monitored at all times by current (cleared) staff. If there are behaviors, actions, or statements that are concerning, do not ignore them. While it doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem, it may be a potential issue that needs further observation or inquiry.
For certain positions such as respite providers, tutors, or mentors that involve children and youth meeting with staff in their homes, it’s especially important to immediately discuss concerns, reiterate the child safety policies of your organization, and be clear that your Code of Conduct is taken seriously and strictly enforced when it comes to the safety of children and youth you serve. In addition, depending on the mission of your organization, you may need to assess an applicant’s home environment. For example, a home assessment would be essential for a mentoring program where youth meet with mentors at their homes, but may be irrelevant and inappropriate for other organizations, such as overnight camps or afterschool programs.
Safe Environments
In the past, youth-serving organizations needed to worry about safety only within the physical environment—the building(s) where their services…
Training
Training should be used to increase knowledge and awareness of child abuse prevention, to teach staff about responding to children who disclose…
Training
Training Contractors, Consultants, and Interns When it comes to training your contractors, consultants, and interns, there is certain core…
Policies & Procedures
Policies and Procedures are an essential backbone of your prevention strategy at your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO), providing an overarching…
Training
A Model for Evaluation: Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Training Every training course needs a method of collecting feedback to ensure a course is…
Screening & Hiring
Criminal background checks are an important tool in your screening and selection process—and you should ensure that you’re aware of any federal,…
Reporting
With some exceptions, a single incident or observation of suspected abuse or neglect may not necessarily trigger the need for a call to the…
Training
Staff and volunteers must be trained on child abuse prevention, including the signs and symptoms of child abuse. In order to identify and vet these…
Screening & Hiring
Finding and retaining a qualified and diverse workforce is one of the greatest challenges for youth-serving organizations like yours. Given the…
Training
Once you have identified your training expectations and standards and have researched current and available local and national training, explore…
Customized child sexual abuse prevention guidelines to meet the unique needs of any organization that serves children.
Learning Center Registration
Sign up for an account and start your learning experience.
Free Online Assessment
Let us help you find out where to start.