YMCA of the Rockies Earns Praesidium Accreditation
Colorado organization becomes first hospitality-focused YMCA to join the cohort
YMCA of the Rockies, a beloved nonprofit and travel destination, is proud to announce its Praesidium Accreditation. As the largest YMCA camp and conference center in the world, YMCA of the Rockies offers a welcoming retreat with 276 cabins and 9 lodges at two vacation centers and one traditional summer camp. Praesidium is an organization focused on preventing the sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults within institutions. Staff from Estes Park Center, Snow Mountain Ranch, and Camp Chief Ouray collaborated to earn this prestigious accreditation.
“As an organization, YMCA of the Rockies is committed to the prevention of abuse. We serve more than 210,000 people per year and safety of our guests remains the top priority. Because we serve a large proportion of children, working with Praesidium to create peace of mind for parents is particularly important to the prevention of abuse,” said Susan Tayor, Program Director at Estes Park Center.
Within the accreditation, which is the highest industry standard in abuse prevention, Praesidium provides services such as risk assessment, training, policy development, and monitoring to help organizations create safe environments. Their comprehensive accreditation process – established in 2004 – involves an eight-step series, including refining policies, strengthening screening and selection tools, investing in training, increasing monitoring and supervision, building internal feedback systems, educating consumers, responding appropriately, and strengthening administrative practices.
YMCA of the USA works closely with Praesidium to engage in safe practices for working with children. YMCA of the Rockies is among the first 50 YMCAs in the country to accomplish accreditation, which can take up to a year to earn through Praesidium’s comprehensive review of all of the organization’s practices. The current accreditation will last for three years.
For more details about the Praesidium Accreditation and other ways the YMCA helps protect children and all guests can be found at https://www.ymcarockies.org/policies-cancellations/.
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