PHOENIX (STN) – “Child abuse is just one of those really hard things that people don’t want to think about, but if no one thinks about it, no one is preventing it.”
A tough, but true statement from Kristen Gray, vice president of child care at the Valley of the Sun YMCA. While everyone wants their child to be as safe as possible in a daycare setting, that isn’t always the case. Gray said childcare providers are acutely aware that child abusers often target public organizations, like YMCAs, to access children. To address this risk, she and her organization decided to take action.
“It was important that our YMCA be recognized publicly and known that we are an organization that will not tolerate child abuse, and we are going to actively prevent it,” she said.
Recently, the Valley of the Sun YMCA earned Praesidium Accreditation to ensure the safety of children in its care.
See how Valley of the Sun YMCA is helping protect children:
According to Praesidium’s mission statement, accreditation is a “standardized, consistent, and objective process that allows organizations to publicly demonstrate their commitment to abuse prevention.”
For Daisy Sanchez, a mother and associate director of the Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA in Phoenix, the accreditation conveys a straightforward message.
“It makes me feel like as a parent that I can take my child to a program that I know is safe,” Sanchez said. “I know I don’t have to worry about [it] when I’m at work or when I’m doing something. I automatically know that they’re going to be able to keep her safe.”
Another parent, Whitney, who moved to the Phoenix area last December and enrolled her children in the Valley of the Sun YMCA childcare program, said she wasn’t surprised to learn the YMCA had earned Praesidium Accreditation.
“I honestly wasn’t shocked at all,” she said. “Making sure that my kids are somewhere where they’re safe and happy and healthy is of the utmost importance to us, and it was clear that this was going to be the perfect spot for them.”
Gray explained that during the accreditation process, Praesidium evaluators thoroughly examined policies and reviewed staff files to ensure compliance with child safety standards. While the process didn’t change the mission of the Valley of the Sun YMCA, Gray said the accreditation reinforces its commitment to keeping children safe.
“It is of immense value to your organization to be able to say, your child is safe with me,” she said. “I guarantee it.”
