As summer approaches and kids gear up for camps, many parents are focused on sign-ups, gear, and transportation. But there’s something even more important to consider: your child’s safety. The U.S. Center for SafeSport recently released a Summer Safety Checklist to help parents ask key questions before sending their children to summer programs. These questions are designed to make sure the organization has policies in place to prevent and respond to abuse and misconduct.

“Asking safety questions helps to demonstrate one of the most important life lessons for young athletes: their well-being matters,” says April Holmes, interim CEO of the U.S. Center for SafeSport and four-time Paralympian.

The checklist includes eight important questions:

  1. What are the criteria for volunteer and staff screening and background checks? 
  2. How are program participants supervised during structured activities and free time? 
  3. What kind of abuse prevention and response training do volunteers and staff undergo? 
  4. Do you have policies that limit unsupervised one-on-one contact between adults and minors? 
  5. What are the established processes for reporting and responding to abuse and misconduct? 
  6. How do you communicate expectations about how program participants treat one another? 
  7. What are the sleeping arrangements for program participants and overnight staff or volunteers, and how are they monitored? (For overnight programs) 
  8. Is an adult emergency contact available 24/7? (For overnight programs)

You can ask these questions directly to a coach, camp director, or check the program’s policies.

Monica Rivera, SafeSport’s Vice President of Education & Research, reminds us, “Safety is not just the foundation for play and growth, but something every child deserves.” 

SafeSport was created in response to abuse scandals in Olympic and Paralympic sports. It now helps protect athletes of all ages through safety rules, investigations, and education. In addition to the checklist, SafeSport offers a free Parent and Guardian’s Handbook for Safer Sport, which helps families understand risks and create open conversations. Their Summer Playbook is also full of helpful tips.

At the end of the day, sports should be fun, positive, and safe. Before your child starts their summer activities, take a few minutes to ask the right questions, because nothing matters more than their safety. Learn more and access SafeSport’s full checklist at uscenterforsafesport.org.