Leading the Way with Youth Safety

The safety and well-being of youth is paramount to the 4-H movement in Canada. That’s why, over the past few years, 4-H Canada has implemented cohesive national standards and policies for youth safety and risk management training for leaders and staff. Are you an alumni who is interested in mentoring the next generation of 4-H youth? If so, keep reading to find out how to start your journey not only as a 4-H leader, but an advocate for youth safety.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

4-H Canada and the provincial 4-H organizations are committed to advancing 4-H as a leader in the youth-serving sector by meeting or exceeding the industry standards expected of every volunteer and leader across the country. That’s why we’ve worked collaboratively to ensure all leaders across the country have access to the same industry-leading safety training and resources, including:

Youth Safety Training

Since 2020, 4-H Canada and the provincial 4-H organizations have been providing leaders with Youth Safety Training. The goal of the training is to help leaders: • Get familiar with the Youth Safety at 4-H in Canada policies • Respond to parent questions about youth safety practices in 4-H • Apply the Rule of Two to club settings and events • Become familiar with the steps in planning safe activities and events • Recognize when to report concerns of abuse, misconduct, and safety issues • Access 4-H Canada policies and resources • Access provincial procedures and resources

Commit to Kids Training

Commit to Kids is an online course developed by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection for use by youth organizations like 4-H. The training is free to all 4-H volunteers, leaders, staff, and board members, and access is provided through the provincial 4-H organizations.

Youth Safety Reporting

4-H has an open-door policy for reporting concerns of misconduct, harassment, or abuse, and takes all claims very seriously. To facilitate claims, 4-H Canada created a Youth Safety Reporting System, where a confidential Incident Report can be made by youth members, leaders, staff, parents, participants, or members of the public. For more information on youth safety training and resources, visit 4-h-canada.ca/ youth-safety.