Protection of Minors Involved in Stanford Programs and Activities
Protection of Minors Involved in Stanford Programs and Activities
Stanford University has adopted a Policy for Protection of Minors to establish safeguards for children under the age of 18 who participate in Stanford activities and programs on campus or under the authority and direction of the university at other locations. The requirements of this policy apply both to organized group activities and activities involving individual minors, such as internships. A number of basic requirements, including program registration, must be met for activities and programs involving minors covered under this policy. This site will serve as a resource for members of the University community sponsoring and staffing programs and activities involving minors to ensure compliance. For additional assistance and guidance regarding the policy, which types of programs are covered, or the registration process, you may contact the Stanford Conferences Office at (650) 723-3126, or University Human Resources at (650) 721-4272.
Requirements for Those Sponsoring or Directing a Program or Activity Involving Minors (Program Sponsors)
Note that all events held on the Stanford campus must have appropriate Stanford sponsorship; for details, please refer to Stanford’s Sponsorship Policy
I. Register Your Program/Activity with Stanford Conferences
All programs and activities involving minors covered under the Policy for Protection of Minors must be registered with the Stanford Conferences Office. To register your program or activity, download the Registration Form for Programs with Minors, complete the form by providing the requested information, and submit the document to the Stanford Conferences Office as directed on the form. Please register your program or activity involving minors as early as possible to provide ample time for Stanford Conferences staff to assist you in complying with each of the policy requirements.
II. Submit Staff and Participant Roster Information
At least 30 days prior to the program start date, a roster of the individuals who will be working directly with, supervising, or otherwise overseeing minors participating in the program or activity (Program Staff) must be submitted to Stanford Conferences on the Excel formatted Roster Submission Form for Program Staff. A roster of the minor(s) participating in the program or activity (Program Participant(s)) may be submitted along with the Roster Submission Form for Program Staff, or it may be provided separately at a later date using the Roster Submission Form for Program Participants. Any subsequent updates to Program Staff and/or Participant roster information may be submitted prior to the program start date. Roster data must include contact information for Program Staff and year of birth for minor Program Participants. Rosters may be submitted via email to protectminors@stanford.edu. When submitting the roster, please provide the registered Name of Program in the subject line of the email.
III. Collect Assumption of Risk, Release of Claims, Indemnification, & Hold Harmless Agreement from Program Participants
The signed Assumption of Risk, Release of Claims, Indemnification, and Hold Harmless Agreement must be collected from all program or activity participants before they may participate in the program. Program Sponsors and/or Program Directors should determine the best method for disseminating and collecting these forms from program participants and/or their parents. Once collected, these documents should be submitted to the Stanford Conferences Office for storage and maintenance. Note that if Program Participant roster information has not already been provided, it must accompany submission of these forms in order for the program to proceed. Waivers are to be in order by participant’s last name. If submitting the waiver via email to protectminors@stanford.edu, please provide the registered Name of Program in the subject line of the email.
IV. Collect and Securely Maintain Necessary Medical Information
Collection of participant medical information that may be required to ensure the health and well-being of minors involved with your program or activity is important; and protection of privacy and maintaining appropriate confidentiality is also important. For a sample document containing information often deemed relevant for programs and activities with minors, download the Medical Insurance Information, Consent for Emergency Medical Treatment & Emergency Contact Information Form available on this site. Pay particular attention to the second page of that document regarding secure maintenance and procedures for destruction of medical information. Note that medical information should be maintained securely on-site throughout the event for program staff to reference as needed; these documents or copies of these documents should not be submitted to Stanford Conferences.
V. Ensure Minimum Ratios of Supervising Staff to Minors
Staffing for supervision of minors may vary depending on the type of program, the activities involved, and requirements imposed by the Program Sponsor. However, at a minimum, the following supervising staff to minors ratios must be met:
| Participant Age | Number of Adult Staff Supervisors | Number of Overnight Participants | Number of Day-only Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6–8 years | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| 9–13 years | 1 | 8 | 10 |
| 14–17 years | 1 | 10 | 12 |
VI. Provide Staff Training
Program Sponsors are required to ensure that Program Staff receive training as required by the Protection of Minors policy, on the topics listed below:
- Recognizing sexual abuse, child abuse and neglect and obligations and avenues to report suspected incidents,
- Appropriate ratio of supervising staff to minors,
- Appropriate behavior with minors,
- California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act,
- Title IX and Stanford policies related to prevention of sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Resource materials to assist with training on these and other related topics are available on this site in the Resource & Training Materials section. The resource list includes links to an online training module through STARS for members of the Stanford community.
Requirements for Program Staff Members
Program Staff include the individuals who will be working directly with, supervising, or otherwise overseeing minors participating in the program or activity. This could include Stanford staff members, PIs, graduate students or post-doctoral fellows, whether in formal programs or working with a minor on an ad hoc basis.
I. Complete a Background Check
Individuals who will be working directly with, supervising, chaperoning or otherwise overseeing minors in University sponsored programs or activities must complete a background check in accordance with the Policy for Protection of Minors and the Stanford University Background Check Policy, which may be found along with other related information at the HR at Stanford website for Stanford University Background Checks. Live Scan is required both for existing students and employees and new hires who will be working with minors. HireRight may be used for the initial hiring decision when the candidate cannot be physically present at the Stanford program site to complete Live Scan fingerprinting in advance; however, employees who will be working with minors on an ongoing basis will be required to undergo Live Scan after arriving at Stanford. A Live Scan Information & Application document consisting of the Live Scan Application, an instructional pre-populated application form, and FAQs regarding the Live Scan process may be downloaded from this site.
II. Complete Training
All Program Staff in programs or activities involving minors must complete training as required under the Protection of Minors policy, on the topics listed above. An online training module is available for members of the Stanford community through STARS. The training program, Working with Minors at Stanford and Mandated Reporter Acknowledgement is listed in STARS under Program Code WWM-PROG-2000. Undergraduate students in a volunteer capacity with a program involving minors are not included among the roles legally specified as mandated reporters, and their training requirement may be addressed by completing just the Working with Minors at Stanford course listed in STARS under Activity Code WWM-1000-WEB.
Additional Requirements for Programs Involving Minors Working in Labs
While all programs involving minors are expected to complete the requirements outlined above to be in compliance with Administrative Guide 1.8.1, for the Protection of Minors, there are additional requirements that must be satisfied when minors will be working in labs at Stanford. This applies to formal internship programs as well as one-off internships involving minors in labs. These requirements are detailed in the Office of Science Outreach website under Faculty Resources. Please also view Health & Safety Requirements for Minors in Laboratories at Stanford University.
