Wednesday, October 25th, 2017
All background checks are not created equal. Hearing that a background check has been run on someone can provide a false sense of security. Background checks are a very good risk management tool, but can also be confusing. Are you receiving the individual’s most recent and accurate information—no matter where he or she has lived? […]
Read More >>Wednesday, October 25th, 2017
Imagine this scenario: You are the coordinator for your organization’s youth group. You get an angry call from a parent—her daughter’s photo was posted on the organization’s Instagram page and has gone viral. Some of the comments are not flattering to the girl, and she is very upset. What do you do? First, apologize to […]
Read More >>Wednesday, October 25th, 2017
Do you know the most frequent reason that a Safe Gatherings application is delayed? Do you want to help speed up the process? The most frequent reason is because of references not responding to reference requests. There may be several reasons for this, including that the reference doesn’t see the email, it goes to the […]
Read More >>Tuesday, July 25th, 2017
Did you know that we offer tutorials for administrators, staff, and applicants? We want to make it as easy as possible for you to share information about Safe Gatherings with people in your organization. If you’re getting a number of questions about a certain aspect of the Safe Gatherings system, call or email us—we probably […]
Read More >>Tuesday, July 25th, 2017
Imagine this scenario: You are a volunteer working with young children. One day, a mother drops off her special-needs child. Your supervisor and one of your colleagues attend to the child during class time. Later in your volunteer shift, you have a chance to interact with the child and he starts making loud noises. You […]
Read More >>Tuesday, July 25th, 2017
Dr. Larry Nassar was fired by Michigan State University last fall after multiple allegations of sexual abuse. As of this writing, he has been charged with 25 counts of criminal sexual misconduct in state court and accused of molesting more than 100 young women while acting in his role as a sports-medicine doctor and USA […]
Read More >>Monday, April 24th, 2017
In story after story, the headlines tell us that abuse knows no typical child and has no boundaries. This month, Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Conn., and the Emma Willard School, Troy, N.Y., both released reports that detail decades of alleged sexual abuse of students. Choate Rosemary Hall hails President John F. Kennedy, actor Michael […]
Read More >>Monday, April 24th, 2017
Imagine this scenario: You are a long-term staff member to a small group of middle-schoolers. Some of the children are from very low-income families, relying on free breakfast and backpack meals to get them through the weekend. Recently, you notice that Alicia has been coming to class with some noticeably expensive items, such as new […]
Read More >>Monday, April 24th, 2017
Stress is a common problem that everyone faces to some extent or another. It can arise from just about anything in our lives, including working and volunteering with vulnerable populations, relationships and family life, and finances. The most effective way to cope with stress is to realize that life will never be entirely stress-free. You […]
Read More >>Tuesday, March 28th, 2017
The long winter days are behind us and spring has sprung. As a busy staff member, you are probably juggling today’s activities, planning for next week, and thinking ahead to summer events. Do you have a plan in place for the staff and volunteers who will work these events? Here’s what we know: Kids want […]
Read More >>Thursday, February 23rd, 2017
Nearly 40 years ago, 6-year-old Etan Patz disappeared from his SoHo neighborhood in New York City. He went missing on his way to a school bus stop in May 1979 and was never seen again. He was one of the first missing children to appear on a milk carton. This month, the case was put […]
Read More >>Tuesday, February 7th, 2017
Cases of child abuse and neglect were up for the third consecutive year, according to Child Maltreatment 2015, the 26th edition of the annual Child Maltreatment series published in late January. States provide the data for this report through the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS). The entire report is available through the […]
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