In Girl Scouting, the safety and well-being of girls is a top priority. This article, for all volunteers, highlights resources and forms you’ll need for keeping girls safe including health forms, Safety-Wise, Safety Activity Checkpoints, and incident and insurance forms. These resources will help you understand your responsibilities as a volunteer in this regard.
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Health
It’s important to know your girls’ health needs as they pertain to Girl Scout activities as well as basic health guidelines and practices—like first aid—for ensuring the well-being and safety of girls. These may include food allergies, medications, and abilities. To collect this information from girls, have their parents/guardians fill out the appropriate forms below.
Health Forms
- Allergy and Anaphylaxis Action Plan – Parent/guardians and troop leaders should review this form together to ensure a clear understanding of a girl’s allergy and action plan in the event of an allergic reaction.
- Health History Form – English or (Español/Spanish Version) – Documents health information and authorizes first aid and emergency transport to a healthcare facility.
- Medication Information Form – Documents medication information and permission to dispense.
First Aid
Make sure a general first aid kit is available at your meeting place and accompanies girls on any activity including transportation. Please be aware that you may need to provide this kit if one is not available at your meeting place. For many troop activities, Girl Scouts recommends that at least one volunteer be first-aid/CPR certified. This certification course can be completed on your own time through providers in your community. Healthcare providers may already be a part of your troop’s friends and family network so, ask around to see who may already be a qualified first-aider for troop activities. Refer to Safety-Wise for a qualified list of professionals and the Safety Activity Checkpoints which outlines when a first-aider needs to be present.
Safety and Safety-Wise
Safety is a top priority in Girl Scouting. As a Girl Scout volunteer, it is important to have an understanding of what is required of when it comes to safety practices, emergency procedures, and how to be prepared to lead activities safely. Be sure to familiarize yourself with Girl Scouts’ Safety-Wise and Safety Activity Checkpoint documents.
Safety-Wise
Safety-Wise is an important reference document that details health and safety policies and procedures. You, the parents/guardians, and the girls themselves share the responsibility for staying safe. Every adult in Girl Scouting is responsible for the physical and emotional safety of girls, and we all demonstrate that by agreeing to follow the guidelines outlined in Safety-Wise at all times.
What You’ll Find in Safety-Wise
When you download Safety-Wise, you will find detailed information on the following topics:
- Knowing your responsibilities as a volunteer, such as
- Reporting abuse
- Traveling safely
- Ensuring safe overnight outings
- Role-modeling the right behavior
- Creating an emotionally safe space
- Ensuring that no girl is treated differently
- Promoting online safety
- Keeping girls safe during money-earning activities
- Parent/guardian and girl responsibilities
- Knowing how many volunteers you need, which shows the minimum number of adults needed to supervise a specific number of girls
- Transporting girls safely, including bus and motor coach use, and a checklist for drivers
- Product sales program safety
- Computer and online safety
- Approaching activities (types of activities, health histories, Girl Scout insurance, and using activity experts)
- Accidents and emergencies (first aid, reporting abuse, chaperone guidelines, preparing for emergencies, what to do if there’s an emergency, procedures for accidents and incidents, protecting girl safety)
- Girl Scouts River Valleys’ guidelines for chaperones
- Forms (Health History, Medication, Allergy Action Plan, Internet Safety Pledge, Annual Permission Slip, Troop Activity Permission Slip, Accident Incident Report, Crisis and Safety Management Report)
Safety Activity Checkpoints for Special Activities
In addition to following Safety-Wise, Girl Scout Safety Activity Checkpoints are detailed procedures for ensuring safety while planning and participating in particular activities such as swimming, hiking, archery, horseback riding, parades, and more. You’ll find information on how to include girls of all abilities, gear you may need, having proper supervision, preparing for emergencies, and other safety topics specific to the activities you and your girls will be participating in.
Download Safety Activity Checkpoints
Points common to all Safety Activity Checkpoints:
- Girls plan the activity.
- Arrange for proper adult supervision of girls.
- Get parent/guardian permission by using the Troop Activity Permission Slip.
- Communicate with council and parents.
- Be prepared for emergencies and compile a list of key contacts.
- Check Safety Activity Checkpoints to determine the type of first aid needed.
- Get a weather report on the morning of the activity to determine if conditions are appropriate.
- Use the buddy system.
High-Risk Activities
Some activities require council approval. Review the “Activities at a Glance Chart” on pages 19-31 of Safety Activity Checkpoints to see if your activity requires approval. Complete the High-Risk Activity Council Approval Form at least two weeks prior to your activity and/or event, or as soon as you begin your activity planning.
Incident, Claim, and Insurance Forms
Enrollment Forms
If you are coordinating an event in which non-members are attending or you are planning an activity that will last longer than two consecutive nights, please fill out our Supplemental Insurance Request Form.
Crises, Accidents, Incidents, and Claims
- Mutual of Omaha Claim Form or (Español/Spanish Version) – Insurance claim form to Mutual of Omaha in the case of an activity incident.
- Also see filing instructions and fraud statement.
- Accident/Incident Report – In the event of an accident/incident at a Girl Scout activity, this form should be submitted within 24 hours of the accident/incident. River Valleys will reach out to you within 5 business days and provide assistance as appropriate.
- Crisis and Safety Management Report – Use this confidential form to report observations and conversations in the event of a crisis.
Child Safety & Mandated Reporting
Safety and protection of girls is Girl Scouts River Valleys’ and its volunteers’ top shared priority. As a youth-serving organization, Girl Scouts River Valleys is required to report any suspected abuse or maltreatment of minors as applicable by Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa state laws. Volunteers are not mandated reporters in MN, WI, or IA, and are not required to report to authorities, but must report any suspected abuse or neglect to Girl Scouts River Valleys.
If you would like to report concerns to authorities (in addition to Girl Scouts River Valleys council staff), reports are to be made in the county where the child’s legal guardian resides.
- Minnesota: Local child protection, police department or county sheriff’s office
- Wisconsin: The county Department of Health and Family Services, the sheriff or police department
- Iowa: The Iowa Department of Human Services, county attorney or law enforcement Agency
Any volunteer involved in a current situation where a girl is believed to be in immediate danger should:
- Call 911 or the local police.
- Keep the child in their care until appropriate assistance arrives.
For confidential, risk-free advice from professional crisis counselors dedicated to the prevention of child abuse: call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
Review Girl Scouts River Valleys’ Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse Policy for more details.
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Summary of Resources
- Allergy and Anaphylaxis Action Plan – Parent/guardians and troop leaders should review this form together to ensure a clear understanding of a girl’s allergy and action plan in the event of an allergic reaction.
- Health History Form – English – Documents health information and authorizes first aid and emergency transport to a healthcare facility.
- Health History Form – Spanish – Documents health information and authorizes first aid and emergency transport to a healthcare facility.
- Medication Information Form – Documents medication information and permission to dispense.
- Download Safety-Wise – This important reference document that details health and safety policies and procedures.
- Safety Activity Checkpoints – These are detailed procedures for ensuring safety while planning and participating in particular activities such as swimming, hiking, archery, horseback riding, parades, and more.
- Supplemental Insurance Request Form – Use this online form if you are coordinating an event in which non-members are attending or you are planning an activity that will last longer than two consecutive nights.
- Mutual of Omaha Claim Forms – See English and Spanish versions of the Mutual of Omaha claim form.
- Accident/Incident Report – In the event of an accident/incident at a Girl Scout activity, this form should be submitted within 24 hours of the accident/incident.
- Crisis and Safety Management Report – Download and return this confidential form to report observations and conversations in the event of a crisis.
- Annual Troop Permission Slip – For parent/guardians to fill out prior to taking basic trips that are less than four hours drive, are two nights or less, and are not considered high-risk activities.
- Troop Activity Permission Slip – For parents/guardians to fill out prior to special troop activities.
