Staff and volunteers must be trained on child abuse prevention, including the signs and symptoms of child abuse. In order to identify and vet these trainings, your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) may want to look at other sources for material.  

Research local and statewide organizations and training programs that provide required training. Remain informed on how local and state organizations are approaching child abuse prevention training. Examine what aspects they include in their required trainings that you could adopt or adapt in yours. 

Select evidence-informed curricula evaluated for effectiveness to enhance YSO-specific training. To ensure effective training instruction, utilize evidence-based trainings. Using evidence-informed curricula increases the effectiveness of trainings.  

Consult with state and local prevention expertise to determine the types of training programs available, their cost, format, length, and schedule. Gather information about what types of training programs are already available and provided by local and state prevention organizations. Training programs should be based on the current needs of the organization. 

Determine how best to combine training with prevention information and policies and procedures specific to your YSO. Examine how information from training programs reflects the policies of the organization such as internal communication channels, reporting protocols, and physical safety standards of the site. Determine the best way to bridge gaps between training and your implementation of your policies and procedures.  

Explore opportunities and other similar child abuse prevention training events that may be accessible through schools and other organizations. Stay informed about trainings and events provided by child abuse prevention organizations. Use these events as further opportunities to learn about child abuse prevention.  

Educate parents on child sexual abuse prevention, including how to talk to their children to keep them safe and healthy. Provide information about your safety program to parents and caregivers, and point them to resources about discussing personal safety with their children.

Exploring training programs through state, local, and other child abuse prevention organizations can help your YSO best prepare and execute training. Use knowledge of and partnerships with outside organizations to get access to more training opportunities for staff and volunteers.  

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