How to lower the chance of your child being sexually assaulted

Be cautious of the one-on-one time your child has with other adults. Ask the following questions, take the following precautions and trust your instincts.

• Does the organization conduct background checks on all adults working there?

• Does the organization have policies about recognizing signs and reporting sexual abuse?

• Are all adults trained to recognize and report abuse and on organizational policies?

• Do they have policies about adults having exclusive, one-on-one time with a child? If the answer is yes, ensure that you get a copy of policies. Ask how compliance with the rules is monitored and ensured. If the answer is no, ask why not. And, if the answer is no, consider whether or not this is a safe place to leave your child.

• Note if one-on-one activities are open and observable.

• Inform staff that you are vigilant about your child's safety and that sexual abuse is a concern of yours.

• Inform staff that you will be making unannounced visits off and on when your child is in attendance to see how the rules are being followed in the caring for children.

• Stay and observe practice or lessons.

• Talk to your child. Check every day to see how the day went. The more open the communication, the more likely you will get a clear picture of how things are going.

• Pay attention. If your child is uncomfortable being around a certain adult, ask why.