Michigan 4-H Youth Development


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4-H Youth Development Michigan State University 160 Agriculture Hall East Lansing, MI 48824-1039 USA Phone: 517-432-7575 Fax: 517-355-6748 Email: msue4h@msu.edu Disclaimer & Indicia

Keeping Kids Safe!

Youth-Adult Housing Policy for 4-H Overnight Events

It is the responsibility of Michigan State University Extension 4-H Youth Development to do all we can to ensure that the young people involved with 4-H programs are treated with respect and dignity, and are provided with safe, caring environments in which to learn and have fun. All 4-H staff and volunteers who work closely with young people have the potential to profoundly affect the well-being of children.

To help ensure the safety and well-being of both youth and adults involved with Michigan 4-H, the “Youth-Adult Housing Policy for 4-H Overnight Events” was developed. This mandatory policy, which goes into effect on January 1, 2008, applies to any Michigan 4-H–sponsored state-, regional-, multi-county-, county- or club-level overnight event where adults are housed with youth, such as workshops, events, fairs, exchanges, overnight trips, lock-ins and camps. For purposes of this policy, a “Michigan 4-H–sponsored event” is defined as any event that has an affiliation with 4-H through the use of the name or emblem, and that involves a representative of 4-H (either a 4-H staff member or a 4-H volunteer who has been through the Volunteer Selection Process).

The core of the policy relates to housing young people with unrelated adults and reads as follows:

Youth can be housed with unrelated adult chaperones aged 21 and over (age as of date of event) at overnight 4-H events as long as the youth-adult ratio is at least two youth to one adult and the adults have been through the Michigan State University Extension Volunteer Selection Process. Chaperones at 4-H overnight events are responsible for serving as role models for youth and for guiding youth behaviors. Only adult chaperones and youth of the same gender can be housed together. An unrelated youth and adult must never share a bed.

At overnight events, it is recommended that adults be housed with youth whenever possible – in accordance with the policy. When this is not possible, adults must be housed within hearing distance of any lodging rooms housing youth. In all events, 4-H staff and adult volunteers having responsibility for a given activity always retain the authority to exercise their best judgment to ensure the safety of the young people involved.

Keeping young people physically and emotionally safe is the primary goal of this policy! Refer to the following to learn more:

The complete Youth-Adult Housing Policy for 4-H Overnight Events provides information on how the policy applies to Michigan 4-H–sponsored state-, regional-, multi-county-, county- and club-level overnight events where adults are housed with youth, such as workshops, events, fairs, exchanges, overnight trips and lock-ins.
The Youth-Adult Housing Policy for 4-H Overnight (Residential) Camps provides information on how the policy applies to both state-licensed 4-H camps and to 4-H camps that don’t require licensing.
The Frequently Asked Questions About the Youth-Adult Housing Policy section provides answers to many questions that were raised during the development of this policy – particularly how the policy is applied to a variety of situations and settings.
The Resources for 4-H Staff section provides tools for staff to use to educate others about the policy and about issues of child sexual abuse and safety. It also provides an overview of the process used to develop the policy.

For more information on the Michigan 4-H Youth Development Youth-Adult Housing Policy for 4-H Overnight Events, contact:

Betsy Knox, Program Leader
4-H Youth Development
Michigan State University Extension
160 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
Email: knoxe@msu.edu
Phone: 517-432-7603

Janet Olsen, Program Leader
4-H Youth Development
Michigan State University Extension
160 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1039
Email: olsenj@msu.edu
Phone: 517-432-7630