What Would You Do?

Tuesday, January 24th, 2017

Imagine this scenario: You are a volunteer working late and you look out the window to see an acquaintance of yours, Mike, dropping off a young child back to the facility where you are volunteering. They were alone in the car, and the child looks upset as she runs back into the facility. Mike has been working at the organization for many years. Do you report what you saw?

Because you know Mike and you know he has worked with the organization for several years, you may be tempted to brush this situation off as innocent. And perhaps it was. Maybe Mike was being helpful in some way. However, you know your organization’s policies, and your gut tells you that something isn’t right. Report the situation immediately to a supervisor or other person in charge. At the very least, Mike needs to be reminded that he should not be alone with a child in this type of situation. If something bad did happen, you can help stop it from going any further. Yes, it’s an uncomfortable situation, but remember your duties to the children under your care.