Program Registration

Is my program required to register?

If you aren’t sure whether or not your program is subject to the youth program registration requirements, use our quick and easy program assessment tool to figure it out.  Just answer a few simple questions to find out if any of the exceptions apply.

What documentation will I need to complete the registration form?

All programs need to have the following:

• Parent Communications:  Usually the parent information package or participant handbook fills this requirement.  At minimum it should include a detailed agenda; procedures for managing medications; personnel identification to be worn by program staff; drop-off and pick-up procedures; curfews (if overnight); code of conduct for participants; prohibitions of the use of alcohol, tobacco, and non-prescription drugs; supervision plan; contact information to be used during the program; notification that there are no content restrictions, if internet access is provided.  A parent handbook template has been developed as a starting point that can be customized to reflect the details for each program.
• Forms:  All programs are encouraged to use the standard Liability Release for UA Programs (pdf) (or the Liablity Release for 3rd Party Programs), Medical Information Form (pdf), Medication Management Form (pdf), and Medication Administration Record (pdf) provided by the Youth Protection Program.  These forms have been developed specifically for the youth population, and have been reviewed to ensure that they contain all of the needed language.  If you are using the standard templates, simply indicate that on the registration form.  There is no need to upload them with your registration form.  If you plan to use an alternate form, please contact Youth Protection to have it reviewed before it is distributed to participants.
• Emergency Plan:  A standard emergency plan (pdf) has been developed to address the unique needs of youth participants.  It is expected that all programs will adopt this plan.  Additional information may be attached to address issues specific to the program.

There are additional requirements for external programs.

It is NOT necessary to submit the staff information form at the same time as the registration form.

When should I register my program?

Ideally programs should complete the registration form prior to advertising or enrolling participants.  This allows us to work together to fine tune the materials before they are made public.  All programs should be registered a minimum of 8 weeks prior to their start date.

What happens after I submit my registration form?

After your registration form is submitted, you will receive an email that prompts you to complete and submit your staff information form. Your registration form and the supporting documents will be reviewed to ensure that all required information is attached and then forwarded to the appropriate workflow approvers.  Additional information or documentation may be requested, if needed.  The registration form will not receive final approval until the staff information form is received and all program staff have successfully completed training and background checks.

How will I know if/when my program is approved?

When the approval workflow is completed, the program director will receive a finalized copy of the registration form by email.  All workflow approvers must sign off and all program staff must be trained and background checked before the registration form can be approved.

Program Staff

How do I submit my staff list?

In order to ensure that the information that you send will be compatible with the Youth Program tracking system, all staff details must be submitted through the staff information form.  The completed form should be emailed to youthprotection@ua.edu.  Subsequent additions, deletions, or edits to the staff information should be noted on the same form.

A few tips:

• Please provide each staff member’s full legal name, last name first.  Using nicknames or shortened forms (Bobby, Susie, Trey, etc.) can cause problems in matching up their information.
• All fields must be completed with the exception of the “Session(s)” and “Maintenance” columns.  The “Session(s)” column may be used if you will be repeating the exact same program with different staff.  The “Maintenance” column may be used to denote changes later on.
• Do not edit the format of the spreadsheet.  It must stay exactly the same in order to maintain compatibility with the tracking system.

What should program staff expect?

For UA Programs:  Once the staff information form is received, the names will be checked to determine which ones have already completed the training and background check requirements.  Those who have completed the requirements within the 12 months prior to the start date of the program will not be contacted.  Those who have not completed the requirements will receive an email from youthprotection@ua.edu that prompts them to (1) complete the training through DocuSign and (2) enter their information to authorize a background check.  We will send them reminders once a week until they complete both tasks or the program start date passes.  The program director will receive status reports on a regular basis.

For external programs:  External programs must manage their own background checks.  However, external program staff will be required to complete the University’s training on child abuse reporting.

What type of training is required?

The training provided to program staff is very simple and quick to complete.  This is NOT the same course that is assigned to new UA employees.   The youth program training consists of 3 documents that are delivered through DocuSign for electronic signature.  The documents include the University’s Child Protection Policy, information on Clery Act reporting requirements, and some basic information on how to obtain medical care.

How long does it take to get background check results?

Once the staff member submits their information to authorize their background check, the results can be returned as soon as 48-72 hours later.  However, this varies greatly depending on where the individual has lived and how that locality manages background check requests.  Believe it or not, there are still some states that manually process background checks!  If any results are returned, we are required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act to allow the individual at least 5 business days to explain the results before we make a determination.  The turnaround time for international background checks can also vary widely.

The best things that program directors can do to ensure that background check results are completed in a timely manner are (1) to finalize the staff list at least 2 weeks before the program start date, (2) make sure that staff know to submit their information as quickly as possible and, (3) follow up with any stragglers.

Are UA employees required to complete training and background checks?

Yes.  In order to protect privacy and ensure consistency between all program staff, background check records are not transferred from other departments including Human Resources.  This allows the staff member to be in control of who is allowed to access their information.  However, since the Youth Protection Program uses the same background check vendor as Human Resources, the vendor is able to return the same records along with any updates without charging the University for a new background check when a background check is authorized for an employee who has already been checked in the past year.

Since the training provided to youth program staff is different from the course that is required of new UA employees, the training piece is also required of UA employees.

Participant Forms

Who needs to sign the liability waiver?

Our recommendation is to have all program participants and staff sign liability waivers because they are all in the same environment with the same risks.  If they are under the age of 19, they must have a parent or guardian sign on their behalf.

How should I store liability waivers, medical forms, and incident reports?

At the conclusion of your program, please send all signed liability waivers, completed medical forms and copies of any incident reports to the Office of Compliance, Ethics, and Regulatory Affairs where they will be archived.  Electronic documents may be sent to youthprotection@ua.edu.  Paper documents may be sent by campus mail to Box 870107 or delivered to 401 Queen City Avenue.