As of June 1, 2006, a new state law requires every adult attending a state-licensed camp with minor children to successfully complete sexual abuse and child molestation training with a written test approved by the Department of State Health Services. This new law is in addition to the annual criminal background check and sex offender registration record check your church is already required to conduct on any adult who will be accompanying children to camp.

In order to help your church meet this new requirement, the Texas Baptist Camp Managers Conference, Inc., has written a training curriculum that was just approved by the Department of State Health Services on April 18, 2006.

The curriculum provides our churches with a statewide uniform course that complies with the new mandated requirements.  Each adult attending camp with children must complete a minimum of one clock- hour of training (total) addressing the following topics:

• the definitions and effects of sexual abuse and child molestation;
• the typical patterns of behavior and methods of operation of child molesters and sex offenders that put children at risk;
• the warning signs and symptoms associated with sexual abuse or child molestation;
• the recommended procedures by youth camps to address, prevent, and report suspected sexual abuse or child molestation;
• ways adults can avoid putting themselves at risk for an accusation of sexual misconduct.

The test administered at the conclusion of the training must consist of a minimum of 25 questions and address the topics described in the training.

This curriculum is available for download, free to your church,  The downloads include the training text, the 25-question test, the test answer key, and a certificate of completion.  Also, you may download the optional training video. The optional training video is useful resource, however, it is possible to successfully teach the course by using the training text only. The training text, and optional video, is designed for anyone to easily present to a group of adults.

This new training and certification of completion is mandatory for all adults and must be completed before attending camp. The certificates of completion, background screening, and adult registration forms must be presented at camp registration.  If an adult attending camp does not have a certificate of completion, he or she will be required to attend training at Alto Frio on the first day of camp before they may have contact with minors.

• Child Protection Training Course
• Child Protection Course Exam
• Child Protection Course Exam Key
• Certificate of Completion
• Optional Training video
         Please allow 6 to 10 minutes to download
         video on a broadband connection
• Texas Department of State Health Services
• Criminal and Sex Offender Background Checks
• National Sex Offender Public Registry