Prioritizing Child Safety

Discover our Safety-First Commitment

We’ve established rigorous safety measures from abuse prevention, CPR & First Aid training, and lifeguard certification to maintaining child and adult ratios and providing in-depth child development workshops. These layers of protection not only keep children safe, it allows them to learn, grow, and thrive in a secure setting, making our YMCA a trusted choice for families.

A Praesidium Accredited Organization

Praesidium is a leader in abuse risk management that specializes in helping organizations protect youth and vulnerable adults in their care from abuse. The accreditation process is a rigorous objective method of determining that an organization meets the highest standards of abuse prevention. The YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth is an accredited organization. Training spans all levels from the CEO, to volunteers, office staff and those directly involved with programs.

Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility

  1. KNOW
    Know policies and be able to recognize boundary violations.
  2. SEE
    Keep eyes and ears open for signs of abuse. Talk with your child.
  3. RESPOND
    See warning signs or hear something? Report it immediately.
  4. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
    If something seems “strange,” don’t wait. Please speak up.

Certified Lifeguards

We only employ certified lifeguards for our pools and waterfronts.

Monthly Member Screenings

Using a national service, members are screened monthly.

Staff & Volunteer Screening

A background check is required for staff and volunteers and is repeated annually.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the requirements to volunteer?

All YMCA volunteers must have a clear background check and in the instances of coaches, they must also complete our online safety videos: Volunteer Child Abuse Prevention training and Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports.

Staff who will have direct interaction with children or youth without a parent or guardian present (like child care teachers or afterschool directors) are fingerprinted annually.

Every month, we submit our current membership list to a national database to check background and criminal histories to remain vigilant in protecting those in our programs and locations.

Praesidium Accreditation  demonstrates the YMCA’s commitment to abuse prevention. The system addresses eight organizational operations where abuse could occur and using research to analyze situations, develops solutions to implement best practices to safeguard youth at every level of the organization.