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.

A group of multi-ethnic youth huddle together outside on a warm fall day to take a portrait together. They are each dressed in long sleeve fall shirts and have their arms around one anther's shoulders as they squeeze in closely. They are smiling and enjoying the time together in the fresh air.

You may see these symbols around our centers:

A set of icons reading 'Know, See, Respond' displaying a stick figure person reading a book, a circle with glasses, and a hand

During these Five Days of Action, we introduce the foundational habits of child sexual abuse prevention—Know. See. Respond. When put into practice, they help us create safer environments for children to grow and learn. Resources are available from Childhelp, Common Sense Media, and Committee for Children to support this campaign.

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.

We 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.

Additional Resources: