Chicago Park District
General Guidelines for Employee to Youth Interaction
As an employee of the Chicago Park District, it is expected that the following guidelines be adhered to
with regard to the protection of children under the age of 18:
A. An employee shall respond to children with respect and consideration and treat all children equally
regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual identity, or culture.
B. An employee shall use judgment that places the safety of children first at all times.
C. An employee shall use positive techniques of guidance, including redirection, positive reinforcement, and
encouragement rather than competition, comparison and criticism.
D. An employee shall respect children’s rights to not be touched in ways that make them feel uncomfortable.
A child’s right to say “No” in regards to his/her body and personal space is to be encouraged and
respected.
E. An employee shall use positive touch, when necessary, including pats on the back or shoulders, side
hugs, handshakes, and high fives. Employees should ask permission and alert the child before touching
them. Employees will refrain from full frontal hugging, touching of personal areas, or patting on the
buttocks.
F. An employee shall report any suspicion of child abuse to the proper authorities and are required to read
and sign all policies relating to identifying, documenting and reporting child abuse and attend prevention
training, per CPD policy.
G. An employee shall report inappropriate or harmful behaviors of staff or children to appropriate CPD
personnel.
As an employee of the Chicago Park District I understand an employee shall not:
A. An employee shall not abuse children or use corporal punishment of any kind. This includes but not limited
to hitting, slapping, verbal abuse, mental abuse, neglect or other physical contact that may cause bodily or
emotional harm.
B. An employee shall not touch a child in areas of their bodies that would be covered by a bathing suit.
C. An employee shall not engage in intimate, romantic or sexual contact with any child.
D. An employee shall not be alone with a child with the doors of the room closed, i.e. staff offices or club
rooms.
E. An employee is not allowed to transport children, other than their own, in their personal vehicle.
F. An employee shall not give gifts or special favors to individual children, or show preferential treatment to a
child or group of children to the exclusion of others.
G. An employee shall not accept personal gifts of children enrolled in CPD programming without the parents’
or guardians’ knowledge and consent.
H. An employee shall not smoke or use tobacco in the presence of children on park property while on duty.
I. An employee shall not use profanity, inappropriate jokes, share sexual content or pornography, share
intimate details of one’s personal life with the children or in the vicinity of children.
J. An employee shall not have individual contact with children in CPD programming via telephone, written
correspondence, electronic mail, instant message, social media or other means. Programming messages
are to be sent to ALL program participants not to individuals or smaller groups.
K. An employee’s primary contract should be made through the parent or guardian, from an official CPD
electronic communications devise. Employees are to use the CPD’s ActiveNet system for sending cellular
phone text messages and CPD email accounts for email messages.
L. An employee should copy their Park Supervisor on all electronic communications between park
employees and youth patrons.
M. An employee shall not contact a child in CPD programing from their own personal electronic
communication devises or on social media.
Please see reverse.
Staff –Revised April 2015, Volunteer– Revised March 2015
Chicago Park District
General Guidelines for Volunteer to Youth Interaction
As a volunteer with the Chicago Park District, it is expected that the following guidelines are to be
adhered to with regard to the protection of children under the age of 18:
H. A volunteer shall respond to children with respect and consideration and treat all children equally
regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual identity, or culture.
I. A volunteer shall use judgment that places the safety of children first at all times.
J. A volunteer shall use positive techniques of guidance, including redirection, positive reinforcement, and
encouragement rather than competition, comparison and criticism.
K. A volunteer shall respect children’s rights to not be touched in ways that make them feel uncomfortable. A
child’s right to say “No” in regards to his/her body and personal space is to be encouraged and respected.
L. A volunteer shall use positive touch, when necessary, including pats on the back or shoulders, side hugs,
handshakes, and high fives. Employees should ask permission and alert the child before touching them.
Employees will refrain from full frontal hugging, touching of personal areas, or patting of the buttocks.
M. A volunteer shall report any suspicion of child abuse to the proper authorities.
N. A volunteer shall report inappropriate or harmful behaviors of staff or children to appropriate CPD
personnel.
As a volunteer with the Chicago Park District I understand and agree that I will not:
N. A volunteer shall not abuse children or use corporal punishment of any kind. This includes but not limited
to hitting, slapping, verbal abuse, mental abuse, neglect or other physical contact that may cause bodily
harm.
O. A volunteer shall not touch a child in areas of their bodies that would be covered by a bathing suit.
P. A volunteer shall not engage in intimate, romantic or sexual contact with any child.
Q. A volunteer shall not be alone with a child with the doors of the room closed, i.e. staff offices or club
rooms.
R. A volunteer is not allowed to transport children, other than their own, in their personal vehicle.
S. A volunteer shall not give gifts or special favors to individual children, or show preferential treatment to a
child or group of children to the exclusion of others.
T. A volunteer shall not accept or give personal gifts to children enrolled in CPD programming.
U. A volunteer shall not use profanity, inappropriate jokes, share sexual content or pornography, share
intimate details of one’s personal life with the children or in the vicinity of children.
V. A volunteer shall not have contact with any children in CPD programming via telephone, correspondence,
electronic mail, instant message, social media or other means. All contact should be made through the
parent or guardian, from an official CPD electronic communications devise and or an official CPD email
address.
W. A volunteer shall not contact a child in CPD programing from their own personal electronic communication
devises or on social media.
X. A volunteer shall not smoke or use tobacco in the presence of children on park property while on duty.
Please see reverse.
Staff –Revised April 2015, Volunteer– Revised March 2015