Keeping Kids Safe

1
KeepingKidsSafe!

• The Michigan 4-H Youth Development Youth-Adult
  Overnight Housing Policy
• (Updated 9/09)

2
Keeping Kids Safe! Why develop a policy?
3
Why develop a policy?

• We want to do all we can to help ensure the
  safety and well-being of both youth and adults
  involved with Michigan 4-H programs

4-H Guiding Principle 2 Youth are physically and
emotionally safe.
4
Why develop a policy?

• We want to reflect recom-mendations from
• Long-Term 4-H Use of Kettunen Center Committee
• MSU Office of Risk Management and Insurance
• MSU Office of General Counsel
• MSU Agriculture and Natural Resources Office of
  Human Resources
• We want to align with recom-mendations from
  research on child sexual abuse

5
Understanding child abuse and neglect . . .

• Child abuse means that a childs body or mind is
  being injured.
• Neglect means failing to give a child what he or
  she needs.
• Sexual abuse includes having sexual contact with
  a child.

6
Understanding child abuse and neglect . . .

• In 2006 in Michigan there were 16,104
  sub-stantiated cases of child abuse and neglect
  involving 27,148 victims.
• Of these cases, 1,227 kids were victims of sexual
  abuse.

7
Understanding child sexual abuse . . .

• Extrafamilial sexual abuse of children is thought
  to be significantly under-reported.
• In one study, 20 of extrafamilial offenders said
  they accessed children via an organized activity.

8
Understanding child sexual abuse . . .

• What do offenders say . . .
• The last person youd expect
• Sexual offenders working with or doing voluntary
  work with kids exploit the trust that comes with
  their role
• Access to unsupervised areas should be restricted
  or monitored

9

• Child sexual abuse should be seen as a virus
  that flourishes in secrecy and isolation. The
  best treatment for inoculating communities and
  protecting children is open communication.
• C. van Dam, 2006

10
Our response . . .

• Development of the Michigan 4-H Youth
  Development Youth-Adult Overnight Housing Policy

11
Core Component of Policy

• Youth can be housed with unrelated adult
  chaperones aged 21 and over at overnight 4-H
  events as long as the youth-adult ratio is at
  least two youth to one adult and the adults have
  been through the MSU Extension Child Well-Being
  Volunteer Selection Process.

12

• Applies to any Michigan 4-H sponsored state-,
  regional-, multicounty-, county- or club-level
  overnight event where adults are housed with or
  share bathrooms with unrelated youth (such as
  workshops, events, fairs, exchanges, overnight
  trips, lock-ins and camps).
• Mandatory implementation date
• January 1, 2008

13
The Youth-Adult Housing Policy . . .

• Requires parents/guardians to sign a 4-H
  Overnight Housing Parent/ Guardian Permission
  Form indicating their understanding that their
  child may be sharing lodging with an unrelated
  adult (who has been through the MSU Extension
  Child Well-Being Volunteer Selection Process) and
  with at least one other youth

14
The Youth-Adult Housing Policy . . .

• Addresses other aspects of overnight housing
  situations (including lodging with related
  adults, special needs situations and housing
  older-younger youth together)
• Provides resources for supporting chaperones in
  their role

15
The Youth-Adult Housing Policy . . .

• Applies to 4-H club overnights volunteers
  should work with 4-H staff to ensure the correct
  paperwork is submitted
• Can be accessed in its entirety at the Michigan
  4-H web site where many frequently asked
  questions have been included

16
We all have a role to play in keeping kids
physically and emotionally safe . . .

• On the organizational level Get to know the
  policy and abide by it!
• On the personal level Recognize the signs of
  abuse and neglect and know what to do with this
  information!

17
Lets work together to keep kids safe!