The YMCA of Greater Charlotte has earned a national accreditation for abuse prevention and child safety, the nonprofit announced Oct. 29.
The Praesidium Accreditation recognizes that the organization meets what the accrediting body calls the highest national standards for creating safe environments for children and families. The YMCA operates 14 membership centers across the Charlotte region, including two in the Ballantyne area: the Morrison Family YMCA on Bryant Farms Road and Sara's YMCA on Brixham Hill Avenue.
The accreditation caps more than a decade of work between the YMCA and Praesidium, a firm that specializes in sexual abuse prevention, according to the YMCA's announcement. The YMCA began with a comprehensive assessment, then addressed identified gaps across the organization over time.
What the process involved
Praesidium evaluates eight areas of an organization's operations: policies, screening and selection, training, monitoring and supervision, internal feedback systems, consumer participation, responding and administrative practices.
As part of the review, Praesidium conducted site visits at YMCA centers and camps. Staff were interviewed across multiple levels, from senior leadership to frontline team members working directly with children. The YMCA then completed an action plan based on Praesidium's observations before a final review by the Praesidium Decision Committee.
The accreditation is valid for three years.
Sue Glass, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, said in the announcement that the accreditation provides "important external validation that we have strong systems, practices and people in place to help prevent abuse and respond appropriately when concerns arise." She called safety "fundamental to who we are" and said it requires constant attention and continuous improvement.
Ballantyne context
The accreditation arrives during a turbulent stretch for the YMCA's Ballantyne presence. The Morrison Family YMCA, which serves about 4,200 member households, is the subject of a pending $42.5 million sale to Moments of Hope Church. The YMCA announced the sale agreement June 17, and the Charlotte Observer detailed the organization's financial rationale in September.
The deal is expected to close next summer, after which the 22-acre facility would shut down as a YMCA branch.
A grassroots coalition opposing the sale asked Mecklenburg County commissioners on Oct. 20 to help block the transaction, the Charlotte Observer reported. Coalition members said at that hearing they planned to file a lawsuit within two weeks and would ask North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson to intervene.
YMCA leaders have said the sale funds a broader reinvestment plan to modernize other branches. The organization has also said it would continue offering programs at Sara's YMCA in Ballantyne, where it anticipated enhancing programs, according to the Charlotte Ledger.
