Youth Protection Training

YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING REQUIRED FOR ALL ADULTS

The Boy Scouts of America requires Youth Protection training (YPT) for all volunteers. The purpose of this policy is to increase awareness of this societal problem and to create even greater barriers to abuse than already exist in Scouting.

  • Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers, regardless of their position.
  • New leaders are required to take Youth Protection training before submitting an application for registration. The certificate of completion for this training must be submitted at the time the application is made and before volunteer service with youth begins.
  • 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.
  • Instructions on how to take Youth Protection training: CLICK HERE.
  • Instructions on how to setup a My.Scouting account: CLICK HERE.

To find out more about the Youth Protection policies of the Boy Scouts of America and how to help Scouting keep your family safe, see the Parent's Guide in any of the Cub Scouting or Scouts BSA handbooks, or the Youth Protection and Adult Leadership section of the Guide to Safe Scouting.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following are answers to some of the questions we have received about this policy. To read more, visit www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/:

If a person is not a registered leader, how can they log in and take the Youth Protection training?

A person does not have to be a registered volunteer to take Youth Protection training.

Instructions on how to take Youth Protection training: CLICK HERE.

I am a Tiger Cub adult partner. Do I need to take Youth Protection training?

The Tiger Cub adult partner designation is not a registered adult positions; therefore, mandatory Youth Protection training is not required. It is strongly recommended, however, that all adults involved in Scouting take Youth Protection training. All registered adults are required to take Youth Protection training.

The new policy indicates that a Youth Protection certificate of completion must be submitted "at the time of application." What does that mean?

A BSA application should be collected from a prospective leader only with the fully completed form and with a copy of the individual's Youth Protection certificate of completion. Both documents should be submitted together to the council service center.

Do leaders need to wait until they have final clearance on the background check to meet with youth?

No. As long as their application is fully completed, submitted to the council service center, and approved, their fee is paid, and their Youth Protection training has been received by and acknowledged by the council, they will be able to interact with youth members while the criminal background check (CBC) is still pending.