3) Transportation

Making sure youth safely get to the destination and back home is one of the most overlooked aspects of youth ministry. Consider the following when hiring a driver:

• Licensing. Most states require commercial licenses to get behind the wheel of a bus or large van. Check in with your local Department of Motor Vehicles about rules and regulations.

• Age. Drivers under 21 or older than 65 are, statistically, more likely to be in traffic accidents.

• Experience. The more experience, the better.

• Safety record. If you hire a driver with a history of traffic violations, your ministry could be held negligent.

4) Swimming

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3,500 people drowned in 2005, and drowning is the second-leading cause of death for kids 14 and younger. To prevent such tragedies, make sure to:

• Swim only where there are lifeguards on duty.

• Pair up swimmers and use a “buddy” system to make sure everyone’s accounted for; every half-hour, do a “buddy check.”

• Consider having your younger swimmers and non-swimmers wear bright wristbands that are easy to see in the water.

• Take breaks to make sure swimmers don’t get tired, cold or swim too far.

• When appropriate, issue life jackets. Water-wings and inner tubes do not count: Non-swimmers who fall off inner tubes in deep water could wind up in deep trouble.

5) Sexual Abuse

Ministries are far more aware—and wary—of the dangers of sexual abuse than they were even a decade or two ago. The dangers have not subsided, nor will they. Here are some important steps to safeguard youth from predators and abusers:

• Don’t allow volunteers to work with kids until they’ve been with your church for at least six months.

• Screen all workers; look into their prior church membership and volunteer work. Have your church attorney inspect your application procedure, check references and at least consider doing criminal background checks.

• Always make sure two adults are monitoring children at any given time.

• Increase the number of supervisors for large groups of kids.

• Institute a “claim check” protocol, so children are released into the care of only a parent, guardian or another authorized adult.

6) Playgrounds

Every year, about 200,000 children are treated for injuries they receive on the playground. These injuries aren’t always serious, but the CDC reports that some playground-related injuries can involve broken bones, amputations and—very rarely—death. A few precautions can help prevent many accidents.

• Use only professionally designed equipment, and make sure it’s used on relatively soft surfaces (i.e., pea gravel, wood chips), rather than concrete or asphalt. Anchor it firmly to the ground.