WSYMCA Joins Five Days of Action

The West Suburban YMCA is participating in the Five Days of Action, April 21-25, 2025. The Five Days of Action is a weeklong campaign to raise awareness and inspire adults to take action to protect children from sexual abuse. The week will include staff training and pledge signing, providing family resources, and communication with membership and the community to raise awareness.

The West Suburban YMCA encourages adults and organizations to join in marking this special week as our community comes together to make the community a safer place for children to live, learn, and play. With summer right around the corner—when children gather for activities and camps, it is a wonderful time to bring attention to the simple ways we can all make the children in our community safer.

“Children have the right to a happy and safe childhood, and it's our responsibility as adults and organizations to stand up to protect that right,” said Jack Fucci, President and CEO of the West Suburban YMCA. “By joining in the Five Days of Action campaign, we hope to inspire other organizations and members of our community to create safe spaces that protect children from sexual abuse.”

At the West Suburban YMCA, steps are taken to ensure a safe environment for every child who enters the building, enrolls in a program, or attends summer camp. These steps include pre-employment screenings that consist of a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check & Sexual Offender Registry Information (SORI) check, and comprehensive reference checks that include standardized questions for assessing risk for abuse. Once an employee is hired, they complete an extensive Child Abuse Prevention Training Program, which is repeated annually, and are mandated to report any suspected abuse. Policies exist to ensure that staff and volunteers are never alone with a child, and all interaction between staff and child must be observable and interruptible.

For more information, visit wsymca.org/safekids.

About the West Suburban YMCA

The West Suburban YMCA is a charitable nonprofit organization that has been a fixture in the Newton community for over 145 years. The Y is committed to strengthening the foundations of the community by supporting youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility for all. Learn more at WSYMCA.org.