At the Y, we believe all children deserve the opportunity to discover who they are, and what they can achieve. From School Age Child Care to Youth Sports to summer camp, the Y works to ensure children have safe, fun-filled experiences all year-round.
The safety and well-being of children in the care of our Y is, and always will be, our top priority. During April – Child Abuse Prevention Month – Y’s across the country participate in the Five Days of Action, a week-long campaign to increase awareness of child sexual abuse and empower and equip us all to prevent it.
The Five Days of Action enforces critically important habits – KNOW. SEE. RESPOND. – which enables us to understand how and when abuse happens, recognize the signs of abuse, and quickly and appropriately respond to it. When we embrace these habits, we foster a culture of child abuse prevention – a culture of happy and healthy children.Â
At the YMCA of Montclair, all YMCA School Age Child Care (SACC) employees and Early Learning Center staff are:
- fingerprinted
- undergo background checks, including sexual abuse registry screenings
- sign Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) forms
All YMCA of Montclair staff receive in-person and virtual annual child abuse prevention training. As a Praesidium Accredited® organization, the YMCA of Montclair upholds additional policies and procedures to create safe spaces for children and teens in our facilities.
Follow the links below to learn about more helpful resources from organizations that share the Y’s commitment to the safety of children.
Five Days of Action is an initiative of the YMCA Champions for Child Protection, with support from YMCA of the USA.