Creating A Safe Environment

The YMCA of Greater Louisville works in partnership with families, staff and volunteers to protect children from child abuse.

5 Days of Action

5 Days of Action

Keeping kids safe isn’t just a priority—it’s our responsibility. During April, we observe Child Abuse Prevention Month by participating in Five Days of Action, a week-long campaign to raise awareness about child sexual abuse and empower communities to prevent it. 

The foundation of child abuse prevention is simple: Know. See. Respond.

KNOW

Did you know that 1 in 10 children in the U.S. will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday? That’s why it’s critical to educate ourselves about child sexual abuse—because when we KNOW the risks, we can take steps to prevent them. 

SEE

Every adult has a role in keeping children safe. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts. When we SEE red flags, we must speak up. Reporting concerns early can stop abuse before it happens. A key step is recognizing the signs of grooming—subtle, escalating behaviors used to manipulate and harm a child. Grooming can take many forms, including forming close relationships, testing boundaries, touching, intimidating, and even sharing explicit material or secretive communication.

RESPOND

RESPONDing begins when a child or teen feels heard and supported. If you suspect abuse, do you know what steps to take? Do you know where to report it? Visit childhelphotline.org to learn more about reporting abuse. 

We take our commitment to child protection seriously and we hope you do too. Click below to download a printable version of the 2025 Five Days of Action Pledge Card!

Take the Pledge

Safety At The Y

Our youth participate in a wide variety of programs, including child care, camping, sports, aquatics, mentoring and more. The YMCA of Greater Louisville’s programs follow the principles of youth development, which includes the belief that children need to be physically and emotionally safe in order to learn and thrive.

The YMCA has thousands of staff and volunteers working with youth in the many programs we offer. To keep children in our programs safe, we take the following steps in our intensive screening of employees and volunteers:

  • Detailed application forms
  • Comprehensive interview process
  • Personal and professional references
  • Criminal record checks for staff and volunteers
  • Employees complete an extensive child abuse prevention training program
  • Employees and volunteers are mandated to report any suspected child abuse
  • An anonymous internal concern or policy violation hotline

Member Screening

All members are screened through a national sex offender registry upon entry to any of our local Ys. Our membership database is regularly screened, and results are reviewed by Y staff for any red flags. If needed, appropriate action is immediately taken.

Policies

We carefully supervise and monitor all our programs. Our policies are designed to limit circumstances in which staff and volunteers are alone with a child or teen where they cannot be observed. We also actively limit staff contact with youth outside of Y programs.

To Report Child Abuse

Other Resources