Can you help us understand who should be screened and trained under Plan to Protect™? 

Great question. My personal belief is it is better to screen than not to screen. We have always been in that difficult place where we need someone to fill in for a teacher that does not show up in the classroom and we need someone to be a substitute teacher. If you have a current list of individuals within your community i.e. volunteer base, church, or organization that have been screened and trained, you will have a pool of personnel available to draw from. On the other hand, someone may never be entrusted to the care of children, but their role may be one where a child or youth would look up to them and consider them an authority figure that they are to obey.

Some basic principles I follow include:

1.   Do parents entrust the child or student into the care of this person? This would include tutors, teachers, coaches, piano teachers, babysitters, club leaders, mentors etc.

2.   Do caregivers leave this individual alone with a vulnerable person? This would include hospital visits, visits to shut-ins, or transportation drivers.

3.   Is this individual deemed as a person in authority or leadership that children, youth and vulnerable persons look up to? This would include clergy, pastors, caretakers, board members, administrators, and secretarial staff (schools).

If you answer yes to any of these questions, we would recommend that you include this individual in your Plan to Protect.

We have attached a Risk Assessment Guide that has been adapted for Plan to Protect™.  Though this does not capture every potential risk, we do believe it can be a guide to helping you make the decision as to who to screen and train.

Risk Assessment Guide - click here

More FAQs here

Disclaimer:  The development, preparation and publication of this work has been undertaken with great care. However, the publisher, editors, employees and agents of Winning Kids Inc., are not responsible for any errors contained herein or for consequences that may ensue from use of materials or information contained in this work. The information contained herein is intended to assist organizations in establishing policy. Plan to Protect and references to the manual are only as current as the date of the publication and does not reflect subsequent changes in law. This information is distributed with the understanding that it does not constitute legal advice. Organizations are strongly encouraged to seek legal counsel as well as counsel from your insurance company when establishing a policy.