Safety on YouthWorks Custom Trips
On a Custom Trip, the Trip Leader decides on the majority of safety policies. During the mission trip, it is up to the group to maintain their safety policies and procedures, as there will be no YouthWorks staff on site.
Groups certify that they will have the following safety policies in place for their Custom Trip, which they will clearly communicate and uphold during their trip:
- Child safety policy
- Sexual harassment policy
- The Three-Together-Rule: All student participants are required to travel in groups of at least three. When leaving the housing site, this group must include at least one adult.
- Meet the adult to student ratio:
- High School Trips: A minimum of 1 Adult Leader for every 7 students
- Middle School Trips: A minimum of 1 Adult Leader for every 5 students
- Mixed Trips: A minimum of 1 Adult Leader for every 5 students
- Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
- Communicate local police and child safety reporting contact information.
- Conduct a background check on all adults 18+ (more information below).
Click on each topic below to learn more about the YouthWorks policy. If you’re attending a Custom Trip and have specific questions about safety considerations, contact your Trip Leader.
Registered Trip Leaders receive a Custom Planning Guidebook with additional suggested safety policies and procedures. As you find out about site and community specifics, community partners may have additional safety requirements.
To promote a safe environment for YouthWorks participants and for the communities that we serve, we require that a federal and multi-state (also called “national”) background check and sex offender registry check be completed on all participants 18 and over, including Adult Leaders and youth attending the mission trip. Knowing that all adults are getting background checks will give peace of mind to community groups and your group. It will also fulfill requirements from ministry partners that want background checks completed on adults who will be volunteering at their organizations.
We diligently seek out reputable partnerships within each community. Community experiences (including housing sites, service sites, cultural activities, etc.) are commonly established through trusted community members or existing organizations. In addition, YouthWorks consistently gathers feedback from local leaders when seeking new partnerships.
When committing to work alongside community organizations and leaders, our procedure is to review our safety expectations with our partners to ensure the safety of our participants. It is our desire to create a mutually safe environment during the service day.
At YouthWorks we do not allow youth and Adult Leaders to take showers at the same time. Students should still be supervised by having adults in the general vicinity of the shower area in case of an emergency and to prevent bullying. If students do not have private shower stalls, they must wear swimsuits while showering.
Your Custom Trip Leader may have additional or alternative shower policies or procedures.
YouthWorks prohibits discrimination, sexual harassment, verbal harassment and physical and/or sexual abuse on or off the YouthWorks premises or in the course of YouthWorks activities or ministries. YouthWorks will take seriously any allegations of such misconduct in accordance with applicable law. YouthWorks will not retaliate against the reporting person.
Though requirements vary state-to-state, YouthWorks considers our staff and Adult Leaders mandatory reporters of abuse or neglect of minors. Our staff are trained through MinistrySafe, and we recommend groups complete this, or a similar training for their adults.
YouthWorks prohibits smoking, vaping, marijuana, the use of chewable tobacco products, alcohol and any other illicit drugs at YouthWorks housing and ministry sites. Anyone (leaders or youth) in possession of such items will be sent home immediately. To ensure the safety of your youth, we recommend that any prescription drugs and/or other medications be held in the custody of one of the Adult Leaders from your group.
Weapons of any type are prohibited from YouthWorks’ ministry sites, including, but not limited to, firearms (concealed or not), knives (small pocketknives authorized for specific ministry tasks would be acceptable), explosive devices, or hazardous substances. Anyone (leaders or youth) in possession of such items will be sent home immediately.
During the week your clothes may endure paint, sweat, mud and lots of love from children! Bring clothes that you can work and play hard in, including closed-food shoes or work boots to keep your feet safe. YouthWorks has a suggested packing list available to registered Trip Leaders. Participants going on a Custom Trip should ask their Trip Leader for any trip-specific packing list.
You and your students may choose to bring a small amount of spending money for souvenirs. We encourage participants to leave valuables at home. Please remind all participants to keep cash and valuables in a secure location at all times. YouthWorks cannot be responsible for lost, damaged or stolen items.
Each group is responsible for transportation throughout the week. During the day, you may be at one place all day or serve at one place in the morning and a different place in the afternoon. You will be given addresses to and from each location, back to the housing site and to emergency facilities.
We know that everyone has different levels of comfort when it comes to driving and parking. Because you will be in unfamiliar places, please work together with your leaders before the trip to determine who is comfortable driving, parking and leading in this role. It is very easy for the transportation aspect of your trip to become stressful and, in some cases, to change the tone of your experience. We don’t want a bad driving experience to negatively impact your overall experience! Be prepared to be flexible in this area. Directions change and construction happens, but it doesn’t need to get in the way of a great mission trip week.
We expect that each group and individual arrives healthy to their mission trip for the safety of our staff, participants and community members. If any participant is ill before their mission trip (COVID, flu, other illness) we ask that they have been free of fever and / or other symptoms for at least 24 hours before coming on the trip.
If any participant becomes ill during the trip (COVID, flu, other illness), we ask that they let one of their Adult Leaders know right away, so that the appropriate steps can be taken. We encourage those recovering from a respiratory virus who still have symptoms to wear a mask.