We want you to know what we are saying to parents and what questions we are telling them to ask you. In our years of talking with parents, these are the issues they have expressed as concerns. More than one in ten teens aged twelve through seventeen used illicit drugs in 1999, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Many youth experiment with and use alcohol. Gun violence has jumped in our schools.
Newspapers highlight allegations of sexual abuse or experimentation.
This alarming news leaves parents wondering where their children will be safe. However, parents can take steps to assure themselves that all reasonable precautions have been taken to provide an environment that make safety for children the top priority. Parents and camps can form a Partnership of Caring that will help camps stay vigilant and will help parents feel comfortable that their children are participating in programs whose sponsors keep child protection at the forefront. We urge every parent to ask the day or resident camp directors to whom they entrust their children these questions. Tell me how you screen staff.