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Kids & Family
Regional Y Earns National Accreditation, Invites Families to Stand Up for Kids During Child Abuse Prevention Month
YMCA of Greater Monmouth County, Community Contributor
With sobering data showing that at least one in four girls and one in 20 boys in the United States experience child sexual abuse, the YMCA of Greater Monmouth County (the Y) is taking action to ensure every child in its care is safe, supported, and protected.
As YMCAs recognize Child Abuse Prevention Month in April with the annual “Five Days of Action” national campaign April 21–25, the regional Y is proud to announce it has achieved Praesidium Accreditation®—the gold standard in abuse prevention for youth-serving organizations.
“The Y is dedicated to nurturing the potential of youth and our greatest responsibility is to protect the more than 12,000 children and teens in our care from sexual abuse,” said the Y’s President and CEO Laurie Goganzer. The regional YMCA serves communities in Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex counties.
The accreditation is the result of a multi-year effort by the Y’s Youth Protection Committee, comprised of human resources professionals, child care and camp leaders, and volunteer board and advisory members. Together, they conducted a comprehensive evaluation and enhancement of the Y’s child safety policies and procedures to meet the highest standards in the field.
Praesidium Accreditation is an evidence-based process that helps organizations identify and address risks, implement best practices, and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to abuse prevention, noted the Y’s Safety Specialist Helen Flores. “It provides families and the community with confidence knowing that our local Y is firmly committed to protecting our youth,” Flores said.
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The statistics are urgent and alarming:
At the Y, protecting children is woven into every program and has long been an integral part of its employee Code of Conduct, Flores said. All team members must attend sexual abuse training that focuses on vital prevention measures and how to report suspected abuse and mandatory reporting requirements.
In addition to the Praesidium Accreditation, the Y upholds other critical safety benchmarks:
Families are invited to explore the Y’s new “Safety Corner” page on its website, where they can access the organization’s child protection policies, learn about staff training protocols, and find trusted resources to protect children from abuse, helping to ensure safe, nurturing relationships and environments.
“Safety is not a single initiative at the Y. It’s a common thread in everything we do,” Goganzer said. “We are proud to be a leader in child protection, and we will continue to do all we can to keep our children safe.”
During the upcoming national YMCA “Five Days of Action” campaign to increase awareness of child sexual abuse and empower communities to prevent it, the Y encourages individuals to take the pledge to protect children.
For more information about “Five Days of Action” and the regional Y’s child protection efforts, visit ymcanj.org.
About YMCA of Greater Monmouth CountyFor 150 years, YMCA of Greater Monmouth County has empowered youth, improved health, and fostered connections that unite and uplift the community. Serving 42,000 people annually, we’ve provided over $5 million in financial assistance in the last five years. With locations in eight communities and programs integrated into more than 100 schools across Monmouth and Ocean counties, we are dedicated to strengthening communities. Named a New Jersey Top Workplace for three consecutive years by NJ Advance Media, we’re based in Shrewsbury, NJ. Learn more at www.ymcanj.org.