For The Children recognizes that our volunteers serve a vulnerable population of children who have already been hurt or wounded by others. In spite of numerous policies and procedures in place, it is recognized that serving over 8,500 children per year with over 13,000 volunteers in over 200 locations means that no one can give an absolute guarantee of safety.
Unfortunately, abuse happens everywhere – sports teams, school districts, day care centers, churches and at camps. To understand the depth of this problem, experts estimate that one in every four girls and one in every six boys have been abused. Unfortunately, potential abusers gravitate to where kids are. 1Therefore, diligence, enforcement, and cultural shifts within our programs and the community will be required to ultimately keep kids safe. Still, even with the best designed plans, it is important to recognize that predators will still try to work around the system.