Minors Policy Frequently Asked Questions
Minors Policy Frequently Asked Questions
These FAQs are meant to address common questions regarding the University of Dayton’s Children on Campus and Working with Minors Policy. If your question is not addressed here, please contact the Office of Legal Affairs at legalaffairs@udayton.edu or 937.229.4333.
Training
All students working with minors as part of a UD program or a third-party’s minors program on campus must be trained on the requirements of the Minors Policy training by watching the video available through the Minors Policy website. The only exception would be if a student can verify that they took comparable training within a year of the program. The Office of Legal Affairs should be consulted to determine whether such training is comparable and must “sign off” that the training does indeed meet the University’s requirements.
Always use the higher standard; that is, if a University vice president or area director desires to enhance and/or supplement the required training or other elements to meet specific needs of the particular program or activity involved, they may do so. In addition, if a third-party program (e.g., school district) requires additional and/or enhanced elements to be implemented in a particular program, the University will attempt to supplement its requirements accordingly (provided that none of the additional requirements conflicts with the University’s stated policy) or else take measures to inform its constituents of the additional measures they need to take.
Annually.
If you are set up as a program manager in BIORAFT then you can track who has taken the course. If you are not set up as a program manager, please reach out to Legal Affairs at legalaffairs@udayton.edu and they can view who has taken the training for you.
Background Checks
Any authorized adult required to get a background check can rely on the successful results for one year from the date of the check. Background checks need to be annually updated for each year the authorized adult is participating in a program with an overnight stay component.
The program is responsible for all costs associated with obtaining background checks, either holding the authorized adult individually responsible or budgeting that as a program cost (i.e., factoring that into the cost of participating in the program).
Where the background check is required because an authorized adult is staying overnight as part of an overnight minors program, the general “clear” is communicated by the Office of Public Safety (who conducts the check) to the person in charge of the program. For confidentiality reasons, if the results show adverse findings, then the Office of Public Safety will forward the results to the Office of Legal Affairs who, in turn, will consult with the Office of the Provost (if the person is faculty), the Office of Human Resources (if the person is staff), or the Division of Student Development (if the person is a student).
Yes, or verify that they have a comparable background check protocol in place (and that the adults involved in the program have successfully completed such checks within a year of the program). A Third-Party Verification Regarding Background Checks form is available for such purposes; it should be signed by the third-party entity and provided to the University personnel handling the assignment of space to them.
Typically minor traffic violations do not show up on a criminal background check; only major traffic violations – such as vehicular homicide – would be included. Even if a traffic violation did show up, it would not affect your ability to be involved in the program. However, if you wish to be authorized to provide transportation as part of the minors program, any significant traffic violations could affect your ability to volunteer to transport minors.
Typically the results are known within a week or so. Longer periods of time might be required if the person has a very common name, such that confirming the correct individual requires additional checking/confirmation; significant negative results are found; or more jurisdictions than typical must be searched (e.g., the person has lived in multiple different states).
Reporting Child Abuse or Policy Violations
It depends.
a. All authorized adults need to report this to the person in charge of the program, if known. Typically that person is a UD employee. If there is no clear person in charge, report it to the head of the University department or unit under which the program falls. Or report it to the University’s Office of Legal Affairs. Or, if the person in charge is a UD student, then report the incident to the Executive Director of the Center for Student Involvement.
b. In addition, if the University program takes place on campus, report the incident to Public Safety at 937.229.2121. If the program takes place off campus, report the incident to the appropriate authorities for that physical location, if that host facility has a protocol in place for handling such incidents. If no such authority/protocol exists, report to Public Safety.
c. And if you are designated as a Mandatory Reporter as defined by Section 2151.241 of the Ohio Revised Code (school teachers, doctors, lawyers, counselors, etc.), you must also report to the public children services agency or the local police/sheriff for the location where the program took place.
Report all such incidents to Public Safety (or, if off-campus, to the appropriate authorities if the location has a standard of practice for handling such incidents) and to the person in charge of the program.
Go ahead and report. The objective is that known or suspected abuse be made known, so that appropriate help can be given. All reports will be referred to the appropriate authorities trained in handling these matters to make final determinations. Individuals who witness or suspect child abuse or neglect should not conduct any investigation on their own, as that may impede or delay the handling by the proper authorities.
You should ask the individual who reported it to you if they notified the Office of Public Safety; if not, do so yourself by calling 937.229.2121. Then you should also contact the Office of Legal Affairs at 937.229.4333 or legalaffairs@udayton.edu.
You should ask the individual who reported it to you if they notified the Office of Public Safety; if not, do so yourself by calling 937.229.2121. Then you should also contact the Office of Legal Affairs at 937.229.4333 or legalaffairs@udayton.edu.
Program Logistics
The Program Coordinator should make sure all necessary paperwork is collected and kept in a safe location. Records should be retained until a minor child reaches age 18 PLUS two years.
While UD does not require a specific ratio, Program Coordinators should consider best practices for the type of activity involved. One possible guide is that of the American Campers Association. That association recommends a ratio of 6:1 for children 5 and younger; 8:1 for children ages 6-8; 10:1 for children ages 9-14; and 12:1 for children ages 15-18.
The Program Coordinator is responsible for establishing and communicating a pick-up/drop-off procedure for participants. Two authorized adults from the program should be present at all times during those procedures, until the last child is picked up, particularly if the pick-up area is inside a building. If the pick-up area is outside, then – depending on the number of participants in the program – then one authorized adult may be able to oversee the pick-up process.
Generally you should limit a child’s ability to come and go during camp; one practice you might consider adopting is to take a program participant’s vehicle keys when he or she arrives for camp. You also should make clear (on the registration form) that the child will not be picked up from camp but will be providing his or her own transportation.
Yes, depending on which blanks are left open. For example, contact information -- including emergency contact information -- is essential. Also it’s very important to have clear identifying information on who is authorized to pick up the child; the parents and guardians, with their identifying information, should be listed in that section. But if the allergy section is left blank, then the program can assume that the child has no known allergies. And of course, it’s critical that the form is actually signed by an authorized parent or guardian. You should consider instructing anyone who’s part of the form-intake process to be particularly mindful of the need for forms to be filled out properly.
No. That other entity – in this example, the homeless shelter – is expected to collect the information it needs to account for the children who are being tutored. However, the UD individuals who are volunteering as part of a UD program/event (in this example, an event by a UD student organization) should take the Minors Policy training.
Miscellaneous
Yes, high school students under the age of 18, including prospective student-athletes, who are participating in pre-enrollment visitations to campus are not bound to the “two authorized adults” protocol of the Minors Policy. However, such high school students are expected to abide by the standards of behavior expected of UD enrolled students found in the Code of Conduct portion of the University’s Student Handbook. Also, children at the Bombeck Family Learn Center do not fall under the Minors Policy, since the Bombeck Center – as an early childhood education center – is subject to a stringent set of regulatory requirements. Further, children accompanying their parents or guardians who work on campus, whether to the RecPlex or some other activity on campus, are expected to be appropriately supervised by their parent/guardian.
Especially with programs off-campus, the University understands that strict adherence is not always achievable. However, you should attempt to have another adult around, and also follow conduct protocols such as not being in an enclosed room alone with a minor, etc.
Generally those school kids would be subject to the supervision of their own school and be expected to abide by their school’s policies and procedures, which would include standards for appropriate behaviors as well as appropriate interactions between adults and minors.
Contact the Office of Legal Affairs by email at legalaffairs@udayton.edu or by phone at 937.229.4333.