The guidelines below include references to state and federal laws, university policy, and programmatic best practices related to child safety and youth protection. Each university unit that sponsors or hosts youth activities is ultimately responsible for developing its own safety protocols that align with these guidelines, and ensuring all staff and volunteers are adequately trained on such protocols.

Per University Policy 07-040 (Protection of Minors), Section 5.9.2: “Deviation from these activity guidelines requires clearly documented justification and pre-approval from the Sponsoring Unit and the Office of Youth Safety & Compliance.”

Note: When something is required rather than optional, this guide uses the terms “will,” “shall” and “must.” Recommended practices generally use the terms “may” and “should.”

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to university youth programs and applicable policies and procedures can be found here.

Topic Category Number
Sponsorship and Registration Operations OP1
Child Abuse Reporting and Response Operations OP2
Avoiding One-on-One Interactions Operations OP3
Supervision Guidelines Operations OP4
Hosting External Youth Organizations Operations OP5
Parental Consent Risk Management RM1
Media Use Risk Management RM2
Transportation and Vehicle Use Risk Management RM3
Incident Response Guidance Emergency Management EM1
Incident Reporting and Escalation Emergency Management EM2
Emergency Operations Plan Emergency Management EM3
Crisis Communications Emergency Management EM4
Medical Care Plan Medical Care MC1
Health Information/Health History Medical Care MC2
Medication Management Medical Care MC3
Communicable Disease Management Medical Care MC4
Manual Revision Record N/A