We were recently made aware of the arrest of a now-former staff member following allegations of physical abuse at the Rye YMCA Early Learning Center. When we first learned of the allegations, we placed two teachers in the classroom on administrative leave, pending investigation. Since then, both employees have been terminated.
All the checks that the Rye YMCA and third-party organizations conducted on these former staff members came back clean – they had no previous record or any other cause for concern in their background, nor have they had any disciplinary issues while working at the Rye YMCA.
We take our responsibility to children and their families very seriously, and we take pride in providing safe places for children to grow in skills and self-confidence. We are committed to providing a safe environment to every person in our programs, most importantly children who are entrusted to our care. That any child should be harmed in our care is unacceptable and we continue to keep those affected in our thoughts.
We have a series of measures in place to keep kids safe including: The Rye YMCA Conducts,
- Conducts State & County Criminal Record Checks (felony and misdemeanor), Inmate and Criminal Record checks, Arrest and Booking Records checks on all staff regardless of continuous employment;
· Conducts Social Security verification, address history, and terrorist database checks annually on all staff regardless continuous employment;
· Conducts interviews and work history checks prior to hiring;
· Conducts four reference checks for all applicants;
· Requires all staff to complete training on preventing, recognizing and responding to abuse;
· Prohibits staff from being alone with a child where they cannot be observed by others;
· Reports any allegations or suspicions of abuse.
We will continue to regularly examine and update our child protection policies and ensure they align with best-in-class practices now and into the future.
