Parental Consent | Office of Youth Protection

Operating Standard:

Parental consent must be secured in writing for each unaccompanied minor (under age 18) who participates in a program operated by OSU or a hosted (third-party) entity.

Sponsoring units should work with their internal compliance staff or administrative office to determine the appropriate types of waivers or consent forms, based on conditions of the environment and the scope of risks involved in the activity. For consultation on the use of liability waivers, contact OSU Insurance and Risk Management at [email protected] or call (541) 737-7252.

For university-operated youth programs, OSU's Acknowledgment of Risk and Waiver of Liability Form must be signed by a legal guardian and retained by the sponsoring unit for each minor participant. This informs participants and parents about potential risks involved with an activity, and it is used to document their acceptance of those risks.

Responsibility for securing parental consent and waivers should also be clearly stated in third-party contracts or visit agreements with K-12 school partners or external youth organizations engaging in university-hosted youth programs.

Evidence or Documentation:

Written documentation of parental consent for randomly selected minor participant.
For third-party (hosted) programs: Copy of contract or visit agreement, including language about responsibility for waivers and consent forms.

Applies to:

University-operated youth programs, where OSU is offering the event or activity with minors.
University-hosted youth programs, where OSU hosts third-party events or activities with minors.

Related Information:

Self-Assessment:

Does the unit or program operator require parents to sign a consent form prior to their child’s participation in the camp or program?

YES NO

For university-operated youth programs, is the Acknowledgment of Risk and Waiver of Liability form collected for each minor participant?

YES NO

Reference Number

RM1