Youth Protection Training
Please take time to review the following updates to the Guide to Safe Scouting and Barriers to Abuse, effective September 1, 2023:
Activities
Two registered adult leaders, age 21 or older, are required at all Scouting activities, including all meetings.There must be a registered female adult leader, age 21 or older, in every unit serving females. A registered female adult leader, age 21 or older, must be present for any activity involving female youth or female adult program participants.Even with minimum leader requirements, program-appropriate supervision must always be provided.
Overnight camping
All adults over 18 years of age staying overnight in connection with a Scouting activity must be currently registered as an adult volunteer or an adult program participant in a Scouts BSA troop or Venture crew. Adult volunteers must register in the position(s) they are serving in. Registration in a merit badge counselor position does not meet this requirement. See FAQ at Scouting.org/About/FAQ for the list of approved adult registration fee-required positions. There is limited exception below for Cub Scout overnight programs.
Cub Scout Programs – Overnight Exception
Cub Scout parents or legal guardians taking part in an overnight Cub Sout program with their own child or legal ward are not required to register as leaders. All adults must review the “How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide” that can be found in the front of each Cub Scout Handbook. In addition, the parent or legal guardian must be accompanied by a registered leader at any time they are supervising youth members other than their own child/ward. All other overnight adults must be currently registered in an adult fee-required postion.
Taking YPT Online –Anyone can take YPT with an Internet-connected computer. The training takes 90 minutes or less to complete following these steps:
- Go to my.scouting.org.
- Sign in if you already have an account, or create an account if you don’t already have one.
- Click the “Menu” button at the top-left corner of the window.
- Choose the “My Dashboard” button from the drop down list.
- Make sure “My Training” is selected in the menu/button just below “My Dashboard”.
- Click the “YPT” tab just below the “my.Scouting” title.
- Click the “Take Course” or “Retake Course” link as desired.