Policies & Procedures

What are Policies and Procedures?

Policies and Procedures are an essential backbone of your prevention strategy, providing an overarching written structure that demonstrates your commitment to the safety and well-being of children and youth entrusted to your care.

At minimum, Policies and Procedures include:

A mission statement that clearly establishes your organization’s commitment and the responsibility of all staff to maintain a safe environment for children.
A Code of Conduct that details the expected and prohibited behaviors between staff and children and youth.
Screening and Hiring policies that determine the best candidates to be placed in positions of responsibility with children and youth.

Your Safe Environment policy covers physical and procedural protocols for your in-person and virtual environments.
Monitoring Behavior and Reporting protocols that guide staff on how to recognize, respond, and report abuse.
Your Training policy requires all staff to be trained, at hire and annually, in your organization’s child protection policies and protocols.

Policies and Procedures
How-To in 3 Steps

Learn more about implementing Policies and Procedures that keep kids safe. Download a free copy to keep and share with your team.

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Step 1

Assessing Your Current Policies

Enforce the standards for behavior and interactions of staff and youth as dictated by your Code of Conduct.
Build and maintain the type of environment described in your Safe Environment policies that ensures the safety of children at the site.
Screen all staff and volunteers at hire and ensure ongoing training and supervision.
Prompt your staff to continuously honor their duties and responsibilities as mandated reporters under Massachusetts abuse reporting laws.
Define in detail the internal communication and reporting policies and procedures of your organization.

Step 2

Ongoing Implementation

All policies and procedures are provided by leadership and acknowledged by all staff.
Enforce the Code of Conduct and address any breaches accordingly.
Conduct all pre-employment and volunteer screening and hiring procedures and periodically repeat criminal background checks.
Train staff at least annually on how to recognize, respond, and report concerning behaviors in adults and signs of abuse in children.
Adhere to your monitoring behavior and reporting protocols and address any issues when they occur.

Step 3

Continuous Communication and Improvement

Communicate your policies and protocols to all stakeholders, including parents.
Form community partnerships with local organizations to improve your child abuse prevention plans at your YSO.
Ensure staff adhere to internal and external communication protocols when there is a suspected case of abuse.
Conduct an annual review and update of your policies, including Code of Conduct, Screening and Hiring, Reporting, Safe Environments, and Training.
Run a comprehensive assessment of your child abuse prevention plan every three years and include interviews with all stakeholders.