Know See Respond

Know. see. respond.

At the YMCA, we believe ALL children deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve. Every day, we are proud and respectful of the TRUST parents and the community place in our YMCA. From Summer Camp, After School programs, Youth Sports and Teen experiences, our Ys are buzzing with activity to serve youth. We work to ensure your children have a safe, fun filled experience.

At the Y, child protection is our number one priority. Our goal is to help educate parents and children on how to be safe from child abuse in any environment with the skills they learn at our Y. Our staff and volunteers are trained on comprehensive and innovative practices around child safety to ensure your children are safe in our care. The trust that you, as parents and guardians, place in us to care for your children is important to us and we do not take that trust for granted.

You may see these symbols around our centers:

These symbols stand for Know-See-Respond. This symbol is a conversation starter for staff, parents and guardians to talk about child protection. As we mentioned, our staff is fully trained on how to protect children. Please ask them about it. When we KNOW how abuse happens and SEE the warning signs we can RESPOND quickly to prevent it. Together we can foster a culture of child abuse prevention.

I urge you to talk to your children regularly about their experiences at the Greater Houston YMCA. Ask them about their instructors. If, as a result, there is ever a concern regarding the safety and protection of your child, please notify our team immediately. You can also contact your YMCA center executive.

Together, we can keep our children safe and cultivate the values, skills and relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health and educational achievement.

Thank you for being a part of our Y family.

Join us and take the pledge to protect kids against child sexual abuse.

Five Days of Action

Their Safety, Our Priority – YMCA Child Abuse Prevention Webinar

A virtual panel discussion with experts in the field of child abuse prevention to learn how you can take action in keeping our children safe. Featured Panelists:

Moderator: Khambrel Marshall
Moderator: Khambrel Marshall
Meteorologist, Anchor and Host of Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall
Lt. Shamara D. Garner
Lt. Shamara D. Garner
Lieutenant of Police
HPD Special Victims Division Crimes Against Children Unit
Jennifer Hill
Jennifer Hill
Assistant Executive Director
The Children’s Assessment Center
Rania Mankarious MA, JD
Rania Mankarious MA, JD
CEO
Crime Stoppers of Houston
Jaimie Keller
Jaimie Keller
Trafficked Persons Assistance Program Director
YMCA International Services