Child Safety | YMCA of Greater Charlotte

The YMCA - A Safe Place to be a Child

Children’s safety is a foundational priority for the Y in our mission to help youth reach their full potential. In our commitment to ensuring the protection of every child, our staff and volunteers adhere to strict Child Abuse Prevention Policies and Reporting Procedures. These policies and procedures promote a positive, nurturing environment while protecting children and teens, and those who work with them in our organization.

To keep children in our programs safe, we take the following steps in our intensive screening of employees and volunteers:

  • Detailed application forms
  • Comprehensive interview process
  • Reference checks
  • Criminal record checks
  • Members and program participants are required to abide by our Code of Conduct
  • Staff and Volunteers complete an extensive child abuse prevention training program
  • Staff and Volunteers are required to abide by our Child Abuse Prevention Policies

See something, Say Something

It takes everyone’s help to stop the cycle of abuse. If you encounter what might appear to be an act of child abuse or neglect, we offer a confidential consultation hotline through Praesidium Child Abuse Prevention. You can share your concerns safely and anonymously by calling (855) 347-0751.  YMCA Staff are mandated to report any suspected child abuse.

To report or discuss additional safety concerns or provide feedback, please contact:

YMCA of Greater Charlotte 
Risk Management Team
cap@ymcacharlotte.org | (704) 716-6215

What the YMCA of Greater Charlotte Does to Protect Children

All employees and volunteers undergo a background check prior to hiring, and they must provide at least 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 team members are also screened through Background Investigation Bureau (BIB) daily that integrates with The National Sex Offender Registry. Read more about BIB below.

Comprehensive online and in-person child abuse prevention training is mandatory for all YMCA employees and high access volunteers, and they are required to refresh their training annually. The goal is to educate on inappropriate conduct, teach the warning signs of abuse, and best practices on mandatory reporting.

Should any allegation arise, the YMCA will proactively work with the authorities and all parties involved to respond in a prompt, thorough and empathetic manner.

This web-based platform identifies unwanted visitors instantly by scanning names, birthdates and photos. If a potential threat is identified, the BIB system will send an instant alert to designated management staff. If necessary, law enforcement will be notified.

The YMCA of Greater Charlotte 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 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.

Steps to protecting children

Learn the facts of child sexual abuse. Understand the risks. Realities, not trusts, should influence your decisions regarding children.

  • Minimize opportunity. If you eliminate or reduce one-adult/one-child situations, you’ll dramatically lower the risk of sexual abuse for children.
  • Talk about it. Children often keep abuse secret, but barriers can be broken down by talking openly about it.
  • Stay alert. Don’t expect obvious signs when a child is being sexually abused.
  • Make a plan. Learn where to go, whom to call and how to react.
  • Act on suspicions. The future well-being of a child is at stake.
  • Get involved. Volunteer and financially support organizations that fight the tragedy of child sexual abuse.

Please educate your children about appropriate and inappropriate physical, verbal and emotional contact. Make sure that your child knows that if they experience any inappropriate actions at our Y (or elsewhere), that they should alert you immediately.

If you see warning signs from a child or adult, or you hear about something that sounds like abuse, report it immediately. If your child tells you about sexual abuse or inappropriate behavior, here’s how to react. Your response plays a big role in how your child understands abuse and how he/she recovers.

  • Stay Calm.
  • Comfort your child.
  • Listen carefully.
  • Ask for examples.
  • Do not threaten or criticize the person your child is accusing.

If what you learn from your child or if what you’ve observed or overheard at practice sounds like abuse, call the CHILD ABUSE HOTLINE at (855) 347-0751 or the police. If what you learn from your child, or if what you’ve observed or overheard at practice, sounds like a boundary violation, suspicious or inappropriate behavior, or a policy violation in an organization, share your concerns with the individual employee, supervisor, or the person in charge of your organization. Be sure to follow up with both your child and the adult you’ve talked to.

Help Prevent Child Abuse

At the Y, we believe ALL children deserve the opportunity to discover who they are, and what they can achieve. Every day, we are proud and respectful of the trust parents and communities place in us. From youth sports to day and overnight summer camp; from out-of-school time to preschool; our Ys work to ensure your children have a safe, fun filled experience.

At the Y, child protection is our number one priority year-round. During April – Child Abuse Prevention Month – we participate in a week-long campaign— Five Days of Action—to increase awareness of child sexual abuse and empower and equip our communities to prevent it. By taking part in this important campaign and through implementing abuse prevention practices year-round, we can all commit to the safety of all children in our care.  

The YMCA of Greater Charlotte partners with state and local organizations such as the Positive Childhood Alliance of North Carolina| PCANC, NC Alliance of YMCAs, and The Relatives (704) 377-0602.

The Know. See. Respond. Campaign shares resources from Childhelp, Saprea, Common Sense Media and Committee for Children to support this campaign.

Know. See. Respond. VIDEO from YUSA

KNOWing the facts about child sexual abuse can help adults better understand what to look for and how to prevent it. As parents, caregivers, and trusted adults to the young people in our lives, we play an important role in protecting them from abuse. Learn more about the different types of abuse, the signs and how you can help at childhelphotline.org.

Media and technology are at the center of children’s lives every day. With more of life happening online, what catches their attention isn’t always what’s best for them. As a parent or caregiver, you may SEE a child interacting with media daily, and you can be equipped with the tools and resources to make sure any environment (including online) is free from any abuse. Learn more at commonsensemedia.org/articles/online-safety.

How can you RESPOND to the call to help prevent child sexual abuse? As a parent or caregiver, you may know it’s important to talk about it, but you may not know what or when to say it. Committee for Children has created the Hot Chocolate Talk campaign, packing decades of research into easy-to-use guides to help you begin these crucial conversations – at any age, from toddler to teen. Visit cfchildren.org/resources/child-abuse-prevention to learn more and empower your child to report and refuse sexual abuse.

Education and Resources

Teaching children about abuse is the best way to help keep them safe. Talking with your child regularly about their activities, people in their life and how they are feeling helps lay the groundwork for open, non-threatening conversations to be your norm. Together, we can help prevent child sexual abuse. Look at some of these helpful resources from other organizations who share the Y’s commitment to the safety of children.

Educational Resources for Parents & Caregivers by Praesidium

Online Trainings for Parents & Caregivers by U.S. Center for SafeSport

The U.S. Center for SafeSport produces online abuse awareness and prevention courses.

Click here to access all online training materials. After following the link, click on the “Get Trained Now” button. This will take you to the Learning Management System, where you can create a free account and access the trainings.

Online Trainings for Parents & Caregivers by PCANC

Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina (PCANC), the NC state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, connects organizations and individuals with what they need to help children and families reach their full potential. Our self-guided trainings provide the latest information, research, and strategies to help build a deeper understanding of what families need for children to be happy, healthy, and successful.

Thanks to support from the North Carolina Division of Social Services and the generosity of our donors, PCANC offers these trainings free of charge to North Carolina residents.