Good Child Protection Policies Require Strong Supervision Rules

A news story from Wisconsin illustrates the importance of supervision rules for employees in youth-serving organizations. Wisconsin authorities have charged a foster and adoptive father with child abuse. They cite footage from surveillance cameras that the defendant had in his house. 

There are two lessons in this incident for youth organizations. The first takeaway is that surveillance cameras rarely do much to prevent abuse. Most often their only value is evidentiary. They tell us after the fact what happened, but they do little (if anything) to prevent it from happening. Getting information afterward is valuable, and there are many good reasons for an organization to have internal cameras. Let’s just understand that child protection is not one of those reasons. 

The stronger lesson here is that clear supervision policies are essential. This defendant worked in a youth organization. Naturally, when he was charged with child abuse at his home, people had questions about whether he also had abused children on the job. Fortunately, the organization was able to give a strong response based on its child protection policies. 

Not every organization will be able to require two adults to be present with kids at all times. There are many other good supervision rules that will protect children in your care. Your organization has to find realistic limits that work for your program and your budget. Then you have to be certain to enforce the rules and be sure that your staff actually is following them. 

When developing and enforcing your policies, keep in mind how you would be able to respond if one of your staff was charged with a crime. Would you be able to defend your policies and reassure distraught parents? Plan ahead and be sure you know the answer to that question.