KidCheck Secure Children's Check-in is Sharing Youth Volunteer Resources

Youth volunteers play an important role in organizations serving kids. They bring energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and a fresh perspective while gaining valuable life skills through service.

Volunteering helps teens develop leadership skills, strengthen communication, build confidence, and learn the value of teamwork. It also provides opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their community.

 

Yet creating a successful youth volunteer program requires more than enthusiasm. Youth volunteer screening, safety training, clear expectations, and ongoing development and supervision are essential to protect children and ensure a positive volunteer experience.

To help leaders build safe, effective youth programs, here are five resources.

1. Establish a code of conduct for youth workers – Outline strictly prohibited behaviors to ensure everyone is on the same page. It’s best to be overly descriptive.

Examples include:

  • Physical force or violence.
  • Sexual communication or contact: Includes dating, private contact, or attempting to be alone with a child, sharing of topics sexual in nature, showing lewd material, or inappropriate touching.
  • Neglect: Refers to punishment by isolation or withholding necessities such as food, water, medical assistance, or communication with parents or guardians.
  • Bullying: Defined as intentionally aggressive and harmful behavior that involves an imbalance of power, typically repeated over time.

2. Emergency Preparedness

Emergencies can happen anytime, and youth volunteers should understand their responsibilities before a crisis occurs. The goal is to help teens become prepared, responsible team members.

KidCheck’s Preparing Youth If Disaster Strikes provides practical action steps for involving youth in disaster preparedness.

3. Establish A Youth Screening Process

Screening is an important component of any youth program. It should be consistent, documented, and supported by leadership and include a fully completed youth volunteer application (sample form), social media review, personal references, in-person interviews, a voluntary background check (which requires parental consent),  an optional waiting period, and a possible motor vehicle report.

4. Strengthen Volunteer Safety

Even after youth volunteers complete the screening process, organizations need to establish safety guidelines, provide ongoing supervision, and set clear expectations. Leaders should reinforce key safety practices and appropriate boundaries, including never letting minors oversee minors. Always have two or more fully screened, non-related adults supervising when youth workers are present.

KidCheck’s Top Five Youth Worker Safety Tips offers recommendations to create a safer environment.

5. Reduce the Risk of Juvenile Offenses

Youth volunteer programs must recognize that abuse-prevention concerns extend beyond adults. KidCheck’s three-part series, Reducing the Risk of Juvenile Offenses in Children’s Ministry, helps leaders better understand potential risks, strengthen prevention efforts, and take a proactive approach to youth volunteer safety.

The series covers:

  • Recognizing and reducing potential safety risks.
  • Creating awareness among volunteers, staff, and leadership.
  • Developing a comprehensive youth safety plan.
  • Establishing comprehensive screening and supervision procedures.
  • Responding to incidents and addressing past offenses.

Making the Youth Investment

Building a strong, safe, and successful youth volunteer program is an investment in the future and can make a lasting difference in your program. It creates opportunities for youth to have their contributions recognized, take on more responsibility, and give back.

KidCheck is committed to helping organizations strengthen safety protocols for children and youth. To learn more, request a free demo today.

We also offer secure children’s and youth check-in, mobile Express Check-in, Check-in Station Pro, and our live, real-person support, available six days a week, including Sunday morning.

For more safety tips, training information, and how to grow your ministry, subscribe to the KidCheck blog or connect with us on X, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.

Photo by Creative Christians on Unsplash