Almost any day of the week you can do an internet search and discover a new arrest of an adult who has abused a child. The details are always horrifying to read. These predators always try to position themselves to work with kids - in schools, youth sports organizations, churches, etc.
With the amount of time your child spends doing extracurricular activities, you should take a few minutes to make sure the organization has the proper policies in place to protect your child. Some youth sports clubs perform complete and comprehensive background checks, some just do the basics and there are some that, unfortunately, do nothing.
You want your child to participate in a program that protects the interests of all of the children and its coaches. Completing background checks on every volunteer and employee is the first step, but not the only process that should be in place.
- The club should have a clear child abuse screening process including a list of clearances needed and directions on how to obtain these clearances. This process should align with state, local and specific sports governing body regulations.
- They should have a process by which these clearances are reviewed and approved.
- They should have a process by which the organization maintains the expiration dates and sends out clearance renewal notices when needed. There are software programs that can house these clearances and expiration dates, but they need to be routinely reviewed by a member of the organization for accuracy.
- They should have a strict rule that all volunteers and employees fully complete this process prior to being allowed on a court or field with a team.
- And finally, volunteers and employees must be keenly aware that if their clearances lapse they are no longer eligible to coach until new clearances are obtained, reviewed, and approved.
A youth sports club who has all of the above in place is moving in the right direction. If your child’s organization does not have the above steps in place, it’s time to ask some hard questions and decide if this is the right place for your child.
