Types of Programs with Minors

• Public programs - a Rice-sponsored or authorized program, on or off-campus or virtual, that includes minors that are attending with their parent/guardian and will be in their care for the length of the program. Public programs include but are not limited to sporting events, music performances, pumpkin patch, etc. Public programs do not need to register at this time.
• Teacher/chaperone programs - a Rice-sponsored or authorized program, on or off-campus or virtual, that includes minors that are supervised by their teacher/chaperone that are in attendance for the length of the program. Teacher/chaperone programs include but are not limited to some campus tours, presentations at elementary schools, afterschool tutoring sessions, etc. Teacher/chaperone programs are required to register in the Minors Program Registration System. Authorized adults for a teacher/chaperone program are only required to complete child protection training at this time.
• Custodial care programs - a Rice-sponsored or authorized program, on or off-campus or virtual, that includes minors that are in the care, custody and control of Rice faculty, staff, students or volunteers. Custodial care programs include sports camps, music lessons, lab internships, etc. Custodial care programs are required to register in the Minors Program Registration System. Authorized adults for a custodial care program are required to complete a background check and child protection training.

Third Party Programs

A third party program is an outside organization that utilizes space on campus for an activity or program. Third party programs hosted on campus involving minors are required to follow Policy 811. The specific requirements of this policy must be incorporated into any contract or subcontract that involves minors in order to hold programs on-campus or involving Rice at off-campus locations. This includes:

• All adults in direct contact with minors during the program must have completed a background check.
• All adults in direct contact with minors during the program must have completed a Texas approved child protection training.
• A Rice University participation agreement and release of liability must be completed for the minor before participating in the third-party program.
• Any on-campus programs with at least 20 minors for four or more consecutive days is required to provide a training and examination list to the Youth Protection Manager at least seven days prior to the start of the program. A sample list can be found here.
• A third-party program must register at least 30 days in advance of the start date. To register your program in the Minors Program Registration System, please follow the steps below:
  • Visit the Minors Program Registration System and create a Community Login.
  • Email the Youth Protection Manager at youthprotection@rice.edu with the name and email of the individual that created an account and will be completing the registration.
  • The Youth Protection Manager will notify the individual when they are approved to begin the registration process.
  • Feel free to utilize the recording of the Third-Party Program Meeting or you can find helpful registration information here.

If you have any questions regarding hosting a third-party program for minors, please contact the Youth Protection Manager at youthprotection@rice.edu.

Program Registration

To register your virtual, on- or off-campus Rice sponsored program, please visit the Minors Program Registration System and complete the program registration process.

• All programs must register at least 30 days in advance of the start date.
• Information to gather prior to starting a program registration:
  • Date and time of session
  • Detailed session description
  • Interaction with youth
  • Chart of Accounts or Project/Task number
  • List of authorized adults
  • Emergency action plan
• Once the registration is complete, it is reviewed by the Office of Risk Management. If the program involves minors engaged in lab activity, Environmental Health & Safety will review the registration as well. For information regarding minors engaged in lab activities, please refer to Policy 313 - Laboratory Safety Policy. For questions on minors in laboratories, please contact safety@rice.edu.

Background Checks

Any adult participating in a program who has direct contact or will be in a private or secluded area with minors must have a current background check (within the last three years) on file with Risk Management before participating in the program. You will receive an email with instructions on completing the background check once you are listed as an authorized adult for a university program or activity in the minors program registration system.

• Background checks can take anywhere from two to ten days to complete.
• The department/organization sponsor is responsible for covering the cost of background checks and providing a Chart of Accounts or Project/Task number at registration and no later than 14 days prior to the start of the program. The estimated cost of each background check can range from $30 to $45 with out of state checks incurring more fees.
• Background checks for programs or activities involving minors differs from new hire background checks. Background checks from outside organizations are not accepted.
• The background check shall include at a minimum a federal, state and county criminal history investigation where the subject of the screening resides and a search of the national and Texas state sex offender registries.
• A decision denying an individual permission to participate in a program will be made in consultation with General Counsel, Office of Risk Management and others as appropriate. The department or office in charge will be notified accordingly.
• Authorized adults and program sponsors will continue to receive reminders until this step is complete.

Child Protection Training

Any adult participating in a program who has direct contact or will be in a private or secluded area with minors must complete Child Protection Training (within the last two years) before participating in the program. This requirement does not apply to any individual who has only incidental contact with children in the course of performing their job duties. The required training is an hour long and will cover a number of topics including:

• Definitions of various forms of abuse
• Signs and effects of abuse and molestation
• Steps for reporting known or suspected abuse

You will receive an email with instructions on completing the child protection training once you are listed as an authorized adult in a university program or activity in the minors program registration system. Authorized adults and program sponsors will continue to receive reminders until this training is complete.

Additional Information

Liability Waivers and Record Retention

A liability waiver must be completed by every minor participating in a Rice-sponsored virtual, on-, or off-campus program as well as third party programs hosted at Rice. The program sponsor or department hosting the program is responsible for maintaining these releases. As instructed by the Office of General Counsel, records must be retained for a period of 12 years after the completion of the program or activity. These records may be retained digitally on a Rice encrypted storage space such as Box or department server.

Ratio of Adults to Minors

Ensure adequate supervision of minors while in University Programs or Activities Involving Minors. Currently the university recommends a minimum of one Authorized Adult for every 15 minors. However, depending on the age of the children and the activities involved, the hosting organization or department may determine higher or lower ratios are appropriate (e.g. participants aged 6-8 may call for 1 Authorized Adult per 5 minors, participants aged 9-13 may call for 1 Authorized Adult per 10 minors, participants aged 14-17 may call for 1 Authorized Adult per 15 minor participants).

Virtual Programs

Virtual programs are required to follow the same process as in-person programs described above.

• Programs must register at least 30 days in advance.
• Authorized adults must completed a background check and child protection training before participating in the program.
• A release of liability waiver must be collected for all participants prior to their participation in the activity or program.
• Please utilize the Virtual Program Guidelines for Activities with Minors for additional information and resources.
• For other questions regarding virtual programs with minors, please contact the Youth Protection Manager at youthprotection@rice.edu.