Youth Protection
New Youth Protection & Barriers to Abuse Requirements - September 1, 2023
Under National Camping Accreditation Program HS-501, the National BSA has made two KEY changes to the current policies which are mandatory as of September 1, 2023
- All adults staying over-night in connection with a Scouting activity must be currently registered as an adult volunteer or adult program participant. Registration as a merit badge counselor does not satisfy this requirement.
- All adults must be currently registered in a paid adult position with completed background check and youth protection completion
- There is a limited exception for Cub Scout parents staying overnight with their child/ward where they will not be supervising or interaction with other Scouts.
Required Training
- Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers and is a joining requirement.
- Youth Protection training must be taken every two years. If a volunteer’s Youth Protection training record is not current at the time of recharter, the volunteer will not be re-registered.
True youth protection can be achieved only through the focused commitment of everyone in Scouting. It is the mission of Youth Protection volunteers and professionals to work within the Boy Scouts of America to maintain a culture of Youth Protection awareness and safety at the national, regional, area, council, district, and unit levels
How Can I Take Youth Protection Training Online?
To take Youth Protection training go to My.Scouting.org and create an account. You’ll receive an email notification with your account information, including a member ID/reference number.
From the My.Scouting.org portal, click Menu then My Dashboard from the menu list. The My Training page displays to take Youth Protection training. Upon completion, you may print a training certificate to submit with a volunteer application. Your training will automatically be updated in our system and associated with the member ID/reference number issued when you created the account.
When your volunteer application is approved, you will receive a BSA membership card that includes your member ID number.
