As stated by the National BSA and echoed by the South Florida Council:
BSA Youth Protection Mission Statement
True youth protection can be achieved only through the focused commitment of everyone in Scouting. It is the mission of Youth Protection volunteers and professionals to work within the Boy Scouts of America to maintain a culture of Youth Protection awareness and safety at the national, regional, area, council, district, and unit levels. Protección Juvenil En Español
Leadership Selection
The Boy Scouts of America takes great pride in the quality of our adult leadership. Being a leader in the BSA is a privilege, not a right. The quality of the program and the safety of our youth members call for high-quality adult leaders.
The adult application requests background information that should be checked by the unit committee or the chartered organization before accepting an applicant for unit leadership. While no current screening techniques exist that can identify every potential child abuser, we can reduce the risk of accepting a child abuser by learning all we can about an applicant for a leadership position—his or her experience with children, why he or she wants to be a Scout leader, and what discipline techniques he or she would use.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has a multilayered adult leader selection process that includes criminal background checks administered by a nationally recognized third party and other screening efforts. Click here for information on the selection process.
Required Training
- Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers and is a joining requirement.
- Youth Protection training must be taken every two years. If a volunteer’s Youth Protection training record is not current at the time of recharter, the volunteer will not be re-registered.
- Download the How-To Guide for taking Youth Protection Training
- The South Florida Council takes it a step further. The Youth Protection Training must be valid during the entire term of registration. We must have trained leaders in Youth Protection. We will notify the leader when they are getting close to expiration and seek a renewal. If they do not renew, we must temporarily expire their membership. Reinstatement is simple with proof of completion. Please read the full wording of the resolution here. December Resolution
- NOTICE REGARDING YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING: All adult volunteers must complete the Boy Scouts of America’s Youth Protection Training course, and maintain an active Youth Protection Training certificate. The membership of any adult volunteer that fails to renew their Youth Protection Training certificate within thirty days of it expiring will be automatically rescinded. Any dues paid prior to the rescission of membership will be deemed forfeited without further notice. Any adult volunteer whose membership has been rescinded due to the failure to renew their Youth Protection Training certificate within thirty days of it expiring is permitted to re-take the Youth Protection Training course and re-apply for reinstatement as a registered adult volunteer, which includes payment of a new dues fee.
For additional information, please visit the National Page at: https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/