Nonprofits that serve or work with young people have an added responsibility to safeguard their young clientele from injury and abuse. The Nonprofit Risk Management Center was founded by leaders of prominent youth-serving organizations who saw the need for an independent, nonprofit entity to champion the development of effective youth protection practices in the sector.
For more than 25 years, NRMC team members have been advising, coaching and supporting leaders of youth-serving nonprofits as they strive to better understand the risks that arise from serving young clients. NRMC offers many youth protection resources geared to youth-serving nonprofits, including consulting offerings and publications such as Staff Screening Notebook, The Season of Hope, and More Than a Matter of Trust.
If your commitment to youth protection includes verifying that your current practices are truly suited to your mission, culture and risk landscape, we invite you to consider partnering with us for a Youth Protection Risk Assessment. During an assessment, our team will review existing written policies and your history with near-misses, incidents and claims. We will speak directly to key stakeholders selected by you to identify how your current child safety policies are perceived, understood and applied.
Key deliverables in a Youth Protection Risk Assessment include:
- Draft and final reports containing our independent assessment of your risk landscape, top risks and vulnerabilities related to child safety, policy and practice strengths, and specific recommendations to strengthen youth protection across your nonprofit
- Redlined versions of existing policies and operational materials highlighting our suggested simplifications and changes
- Content for any new training or materials we suggest to advance the goals and components of your youth protection program
- Briefings to the board or other leadership teams regarding our findings and recommendations
- Post-engagement coaching to support the implementation of our recommendations
Many NRMC youth protection engagements also include:
- The design and delivery of a Youth Protection Web Portal containing your youth protection policies, online training courses, and related child safety materials
- Assistance updating background check policies and procedures, including the drafting of disqualifying criteria and vetting of background check providers
To request a proposal or learn more about the youth protection services available from our team, contact Melanie Lockwood Herman (Melanie@nonprofitrisk.org) at 703.777.3504.