Child Safety Policy

COMPLETE CHILD SAFETY POLICY

The highest priority of Fair Haven Camps is to provide a safe environment for campers and staff. Our staff members must take particular care to use sound judgment and to avoid even the appearance of improper conduct.

A. CAMPER SECURITY

1. Standard Procedure

• One Worker may never be alone with a camper; there must always be at least 2 people present.

• Minors will not be left unsupervised whenever practical.

• All doors are to remain unlocked if campers are inside the room.

• Transportation of a camper in the event of medical necessity requires 2 staff over the age of 18 to

be present with the camper and at least 1 staff must be the same gender as the camper.

• If a one-on-one conversation is requested by a Minor, a worker may speak with the Minor in a place

that is in plain view of other staff and campers.

• Unmarried dating staff or volunteer couples may not be alone on camp property unless granted

permission by a Program Director.

• Any suspicious activity between a Worker and a Minor or a Minor and Minor must be reported and

investigated immediately.

• No photography may be conducted inside bunks, changing areas, bathrooms, or whenever a

camper is in a state of undress or has an expectation of privacy.

• Activities, stories, and language that may make others feel uncomfortable – physically, emotionally,

sexually – are prohibited.

• All Visitors must sign in at the main office and wear a Visitor badge while on camp property. Anyone

on site without proper ID must be asked to report to the office to check-in. Visitors are not allowed in

the camper cabins at any time.

2. Background Checks

• Background checks meeting the state requirements will be run on all Workers who have contact

with Minors.

• Background checks will be run anytime there is a break in employment.

• Background checks will be run every 3 years if there is not a break in employment.

• Background checks will be run on anyone over the age of 18 living in the “Staff Cottage Area”

during the Summer Camp program.

• The Office Administrator and/or Summer Secretary will be responsible for submitting the

background checks and documenting the results.

• In the event a background check comes back not clean, the information will go to the supervisor

responsible for that individual’s hiring decision.

3. Training

• Abuse prevention training is provided to ensure that staff understand what constitutes abuse, signs,

and symptoms of abuse, and their responsibilities to protect those persons.

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B. REPORTING

• Camp staff are required to report any incidents of child abuse to the camp director of that camp, in

accordance with its licensing requirements and training.

o If a Minor shares information with a Worker that must be reported, the Worker is to inform the

Camp Program Director as soon as possible.

o Workers may only discuss confidential information with their superiors. Failure to do so may

result in disciplinary action.

o The Program Director will continue as the contact between Fair Haven Camps and the

authorities for the duration of any investigation.

o All reports must be made on paper and a copy will be stored in a locked area of the camp

indefinitely.

• The camp director or designee is then required to report suspected child abuse to DHHS Mandated

Reporter Hotline (1-800-452-1999), in accordance with 22 MRS § 4011-A (1)(A)(14).

o The Program Director must interview the Worker and the Minor and complete a report

documenting the information and must report the information to DHHS.

o Failure to follow any parts of the Child Safety Policy may result in disciplinary action.

• This mandated reporter hotline is the intake line at DHHS Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS).

OCFS Intake then forwards those reports from a youth camp director to the OCFS Out of Home (OOH)

Investigation Unit, when any abuse is reported to take place outside of the home. (If inside the home,

then the Intake would refer to DHHS Child Protective Services.) The DHHS Out of Home Investigation

Team (OOH Unit) will conduct child abuse investigations at youth camps, in accordance with 22 MRS

Chapter 1071, Subchapter 18.

• In accordance with 22 MRS §§ 4099-K(4) and 4099-L (2)(C), OOH will coordinate with licensing

agencies like the Maine CDC Health Inspection Program, in performing its investigation when the

setting is licensed. Upon receipt of notification from OOH, HIP will perform follow-up steps and work to

ensure that the camp is not in violation of licensing rules related to this reported incident, like hiring of

staff, ratios of staff to campers, appropriate age of staff, training of staff, and confirmation that camps

are establishing and training staff on policies to protect campers from child abuse and to report

incidents, should the staff observe anything.

• In summary, and in tandem to any required reporting to law enforcement, a youth camp is meeting its

licensing requirements for reporting suspected child abuse by contacting the DHHS Mandated Reporter

Hotline. That agency will reach out to HIP, as part of its investigative work to alert licensing agencies.

C. COURSE OF ACTION

• If a Staff member has been accused, the Program Director may request the Worker to voluntarily

relinquish or be removed from duties that involve contact with Minors, leave FHC property, or any other

steps deemed necessary to ensure the safety of all persons on camp property until the matter is

resolved.

• If the Program Director is suspected of or reported abusing a Minor, it should be reported to the

Executive Director and the Executive Director will be responsible to report to DHHS.

• Any abuse suspected or reported abuse between Campers must be brought to the attention of the

Program Director immediately. The Program Director may take the necessary steps to ensure the

safety of all persons on camp property including isolating Campers, sending Campers home, involving

the authorities, etc.

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D. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

1. INFORMAL

• Routine and/or minor concerns and complaints can typically be resolved through discussions with

the Summer Camp Directors.

• If the complaint is initially made to the Summer Camp Directors and they are unable to resolve the

issue to the complainant’s satisfaction the Program Director must be notified, by the staff person, to

attempt to address the situation.

• If a concern is serious or is not able to be resolved by discussing with the Summer Camp Directors

or the Program Director, the staff member, camper, and/or parent/guardian may utilize our formal

grievance procedure.

2. FORMAL

• If the issue is not resolved by the informal procedure outlined above and the individual indicates

dissatisfaction or continued concern the Executive Director should ask if they would like to file a

formal grievance.

• In the case that the issue is with Program Staff the grievance must be elevated to the Executive

Director.

• The complainant should submit their grievance in written form and should receive a response within

48 hours.

• The Executive Director will investigate the grievance by gathering information from all relevant

parties including the complainant, the accused, and any witnesses as quickly as possible.

Interviewed individuals should sign off on the documentation of their interview or provide a signed

written statement regarding the events.

• Once the information has been collected, the Executive Director must prepare a grievance report

which outlines the final determination and communication of said determination. Corresponding

documentation should be kept by program management along with the grievance report. This

documentation includes the grievance, statements of the interviewees, final determination, and

communication of said determination.

• A written response of the resolution, by the Executive Director, will be given to the complainant and

a copy of the written response will be kept with the documentation related to the grievance.

• If the situation cannot be satisfactorily resolved with the Executive Director, the person filing the

grievance may present the complaint in writing to the Board of Directors and receive a reply within

90 days. The Executive Director may also take the issue to the Board for resolution if they deem

necessary.

E. COMPLIANCE

• If a Worker discovers that any part of this policy is not being followed, they must bring it to the attention

of the Chairman of the Board as soon as possible.

• Failure to follow any parts of the Child Safety Policy may result in disciplinary action.