Monitoring Youth in Facilities

At a YMCA facility, children must be 12 years old or above to be at the YMCA without an adult present for up to 2.5 hours. Children under the age of 12 must have an adult present while they participate in YMCA activities.

1. The YMCA requires a parent or legal guardian to complete a membership application which includes identifying information, any legal indemnifications, the youth’s date of birth, and emergency contact information.

2. While in the facility, youth can be supervised directly, indirectly, or with a combination of the two techniques.

a. For direct supervision, the program may offer structured, scheduled activities like basketball tournaments, swimming activities, arts and crafts, etc. These activities should have one or more staff assigned to lead and supervise.

b. For indirect supervision, the program must designate certain building areas as authorized areas. Authorized areas could include a gymnasium, a game area, or a classroom for doing homework and so on. Authorized areas must be easily visible and routinely and systematically checked by staff at least once per hour.

3. All program staff should wear name tags or identifying clothing so that the youth can easily recognize them as staff.

4. The YMCA trains all staff:

a. To greet youth that enter the facility, to direct youth to the structured activities or authorized areas, and to redirect youth who are not in an authorized area or who are not participating in a structured activity.

b. To be aware of the risks involved with mixing age groups and how to monitor activities involving mixed age groups.

c. To routinely monitor high risk areas (such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and unused rooms).