419-460-0160 Outdoor Youth Programs: Staff Ratios An outdoor youth program must comply with all of the following requirements: (1) Staff ratio policy. The outdoor youth program must have written policy and maintain documentation of program compliance on staff ratios. (2) Group size. For a field group, the number of participants may not exceed 12 children in care. (3) Staffing ratio. Each group of two or more children in care must be staffed as follows: (a) By at least two staff members, one of whom must be a senior field staff member; (b) There must be at least one staff member to every three children in care; (c) Where the gender of a group of children in care is mixed, there must be at least one female staff and one male staff member; (d) There must be a minimum of five years difference in age between a direct care staff member and the child in care for whom the staff member has sole supervision; and (e) Volunteers and interns may not be included in the staff ratio unless they meet the qualifications required of staff. (4) Wilderness first responder (WFR). At least one staff member per group of children in care must have a current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Certificate or equivalent. (5) Nonviolent crisis intervention training. At least one staff per group of children in care must be trained in nonviolent crisis intervention. (6) Field staff training. (a) There may not at any time be more than one staff member who has not completed all field training. (b) Where there are four or more children in care, at least two staff members must have completed all field training. (7) Stationary Outdoor Youth Program staffing ratios. (a) There must be at least one staff member to every three children in care while a stationary outdoor youth program is engaging in an outdoor youth program activity, whether at or away from the stationary camp. (b) A stationary outdoor youth program when not engaged in an outdoor youth program activity at the stationary camp is exempt from the one staff member to every three children in care staffing ratio. Staff ratios must be established to provide supervision and protection for children in care and must be adequate in relationship to the type of program, location of program, age and type of children in care served, physical plant design, location and ability of supervisor to respond, backup systems, or any other means to assure a high standard of supervision and protection: (A) There must be at least one staff member to every 10 children in care during the time children in care are awake and present in the program. (B) There must be at least one staff member on duty to every 14 children in care during sleeping hours. If staff is sleeping, there must be at least one staff member on duty to every seven children in care during sleeping hours. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 418.005 & ORS 418.240 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 418.990 - 418.998 & ORS 418.205 - 418.325 History: CWP 26-2022, renumbered from 413-215-0986, filed 11/28/2022, effective 12/01/2022 CWP 79-2020, minor correction filed 01/15/2020, effective 01/15/2020 CWP 22-2016, f. & cert. ef. 12-1-16 CWP 12-2016(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 7-1-16 thru 12-27-16 Renumbered from 413-210-0827, CWP 28-2008, f. & cert. ef. 10-17-08 SOSCF 9-2002, f. & cert. ef. 5-29-02