CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION PRACTICES

Whether they attend Summer Camp, an Outpost Trip, a school trip, Family Camp, or other programming, we work hard to ensure your children have a safe and fun-filled Camp experience.  Our staff are selected to work at Camp following a rigorous screening process that includes interviews, reference checks, background checks, and motor vehicle reports.  Our team is trained in comprehensive practices around child safety and held accountable for modeling the values of honesty, caring, respect and responsibility to help your children stay safe in our care. The trust that you, as parents and guardians, place in us to care for your children is important to us and we do not take that trust for granted.

You can help your Camper contribute to their own safety by helping them to understand a few basic expectations prior to coming to Camp. Some examples include:

  • Campers will be asked to stay in groups of at least 3 while at Camp – never 1 on 1 with another participant or staff
  • Campers should expect staff to be in cabins while campers are present
  • Staff are expected to supervise areas and times that offer privacy (bathrooms, showers, changing clothes).
  • If at any time your camper feels uncomfortable, they should reach out to the Program Director, Camp Director, or any of our Year-Round Staff.

You will see these symbols around our
Camp Manito-wish YMCA and in our programs:

Camp Manito-wish YMCA is trained in how to protect children. When we KNOW how abuse happens and SEE the warning signs we can RESPOND quickly to prevent it. Together we can foster a culture of child abuse prevention.

CHILD ABUSE REPORTING

We urge you to talk to your children regularly about their experiences at the Camp. Ask them about their counselors, trip leaders, and other staff. If, as a result, there is ever a concern regarding the safety and protection of your child, please notify us immediately. If you would like to report a concern anonymously, you can use the Camp Manito-wish YMCA reporting form. Otherwise, you can reach out to your Camp DirectorOperations Director, or the CEO.

For more information, for you and your child, please visit these websites for additional resources:

  • Know. See. Respond:  This video resource introduces you to the principles of Know, See, Respond.
  • Five Days of Action: This page has a variety of resources for parents from online safety to talking with your children.

Video resources for Parents/Guardians provided by Praesidium, Inc:

 

Call Center Resources:

 

Need more information? If you would like to review Camp Manito-wish’s Child Protection Policies & Procedures in their entirety, these are available upon request.