A Strong Child Protection Policy that Works for Your Organization by Debbie Ausburn, J.D. and Tom Rawlings, J.D. Attorneys

Youth-serving organizations know they need strong child protection policies—but building (or rebuilding) one can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re balancing staffing, operations, and daily program demands. In this practical, action-oriented session, you’ll learn a clear, manageable process for creating a child protection policy that is not only compliant on paper, but usable in real life—aligned with your organization’s size, setting, and risk areas.

Together, we’ll walk through how to bring the right people to the table, identify the current standard of care, audit what you already have, and adapt policies so they are clear, trainable, and consistently implemented. You’ll also explore how to move beyond “one-and-done” documents by making child protection a living part of your culture—supported through training, communication, and ongoing accountability.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

1. Gather your team and clarify roles and responsibilities for policy development and implementation.

2. Research the standard of care and identify best practices relevant to your organization.

3. Audit and adapt your current policies to close gaps and ensure clarity, consistency, and usability.

4. Make child protection a living part of your culture through training, reinforcement, and continuous improvement.