Protecting Children from Child Abuse

At the JCC of Central NJ our Mission is to educate, enrich and empower our community- from generation to generation. The safety of children is the utmost priority at the JCC. Child Abuse Prevention takes an entire community and the JCC stands with our community, as our vision states. In our community, with our community, for our community.

The following is in place for all programs at our JCC that serve children. These protocols ensure that we protect your children while in our care, protect our staff and protect the JCC.

• Criminal background, sex offender registry and reference checks are conducted on all staff prior to hiring.
• Staff must agree and sign our Child Abuse Prevention Code of Conduct which remains in their employee file.
• Staff are required to complete online Child Abuse Prevention training prior to their 1st day of work.
• Staff are annually trained on Child Abuse Prevention.
• All guests and vendors are screened when visiting the JCC through the Nationwide Sex Offender Database.
• In order to protect the staff, volunteers, and program participants – at no time during a program may a staff person be alone with a single child where they cannot be observed by others. As staff supervise children, they should space themselves in a way that other staff can see them.
• As part of our Culture of Safety Engagement Plan, we have established protocols for screening volunteers at the JCC. As an agency that serves children, developmentally disabled, and the elderly, this is best practice as outlined by our Insurer.
• Volunteers are screened by the Program Director and referred to the Volunteer Coordinator to begin the volunteer screening process which includes, reference checks, national sex offender registry checks (ongoing), training, and supervision.
• Our Children’s Services programs adhere to all guidance (including staff supervision ratios) set forth by the Department of Children and Families (Early Childhood and Afterschool at the J) and the Youth Camp Safety Standards and American Camp Association Standards (Camp Yachad). The standards set forth by these guiding bodies inform our policies and procedures.

As designated mandated reporters, the director(s) of all Children’s Services programs are required to report any instance of suspected abuse whenever there is reasonable cause.