PA-OST 3: Building Healthy Relationships Between Children and Youth and Adults
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Children and youth develop positive, supportive relationships with
personnel.
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Research Note: Some research suggests that the relationships youth develop with adults may be critical for maintaining their participation in a program. One study found that young people were more likely to continue to participate if they formed relationships with supportive adults early on in the program. The importance of developing these positive relationships is underscored by evaluations suggesting that higher participation levels are associated with more positive outcomes. |
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Personnel are actively engaged with children and youth, and relate to them in positive ways by:
- helping them feel welcome and comfortable;
- treating them with respect;
- listening to what they say; and
- responding to them with acceptance and appreciation.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Personnel talk and interact with children and youth;
- Personnel show interest in what children and youth say and do;
- Personnel participate in many activities with children and youth;
- Personnel show that they enjoy children and youth;
- Personnel sit with children and youth when snacks are served;
- Personnel seem cheerful rather than bored, tired, or distant;
- Personnel spend little time on tasks that do not involve children and youth;
- Personnel project a tone of welcome in their voices and gestures;
- Personnel acknowledge children and youth when they arrive and depart;
- Personnel respond appropriately when children and youth show affection;
- Personnel stay calm in all situations;
- Personnel do not belittle children and youth;
- Personnel take children’s and youths’ comments seriously;
- Personnel do not intrude on or interrupt children and youth;
- Personnel use supportive language;
- Personnel are kind and fair to all children and youth;
- Personnel include all interested children and youth in activities and events, regardless of their skill level;
- Personnel do not separate children and youth by gender; and
- Personnel do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, family structure, appearance, disability, sexual orientation, etc.
Personnel recognize and respond appropriately to the individual needs, interests, and abilities of children and youth.
Interpretation: Personnel should recognize the range of children’s abilities, know that each child has special interests and talents, respond to the range of children’s feelings and temperaments, and relate to a child’s culture and language.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Personnel vary their responses to match the ages and abilities of children and youth;
- Personnel help children and youth become focused and engaged;
- Personnel help children and youth pursue their interests and improve their skills;
- Personnel substitute equipment as needed (e.g., when children and youth have poor motor skills, personnel provide a large beach ball instead of a volleyball for outdoor games);
- Personnel are able to spend time with individual children and youth;
- Personnel bring in materials related to the interests of children and youth (e.g., pets, music, sports, computers, chess, etc.);
- Personnel are eager to hear about events in the lives of children and youth;
- Personnel try to understand the different ways children express their feelings (e.g., different cultural styles to show respect for authority or express hurt, anger, or warmth);
- Personnel try to assess a child’s or youth’s feelings before attempting to solve a problem;
- Personnel find suitable ways to include all children and youth;
- Personnel accept a child’s or youth’s desire to be alone;
- Personnel remain calm and patient with an angry child or youth;
- Personnel comfort children and youth who appear hurt, upset, or disappointed;
- Personnel provide resources that show different cultural perspectives;
- Personnel help children and youth use books and music in different languages;
- Children and youth have an opportunity to speak their home language with peers and personnel, to the extent possible;
- Personnel reflect the cultures and languages of program participants;
- Guests from various cultural traditions are invited to speak at the program, share their experiences, and serve as coaches, mentors, and friends;
- Personnel help children and youth move beyond gender stereotypes in their choices;
- Personnel use pictures and visual aids to reach out to non-readers and speakers of other languages;
- Personnel modify activities as needed so that all children and youth can participate;
- Personnel listen carefully to all children and youth;
- Personnel speak to children and youth on a level they seem to understand;
- Personnel take extra time with children and youth who speak another language at home or have difficulty listening or speaking;
- Personnel try to find effective ways to communicate with all children and youth;
- Personnel recognize non-verbal as well as verbal responses; and
- Personnel sometimes use non-verbal signals to help children and youth understand.
Note: See PA-OST 3.05 for more information about responding appropriately to children and youth with special needs.
Personnel promote autonomy and learning by:
- asking questions that encourage children and youth to think for themselves;
- sharing skills and resources that help children and youth solve problems;
- varying the approaches they use to help children and youth learn; and
- engaging children and youth in conversations.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Personnel pursue children’s and youths’ ideas;
- Personnel start discussions by asking open-ended questions;
- Personnel encourage children and youth to use journal writing, art projects, and group discussions as ways to express their ideas;
- Personnel listen carefully to children and youth and take time to think about their questions;
- Personnel show children and youth how and where to find answers to questions;
- Personnel show children and youth how complex skills can be broken into smaller steps;
- Personnel encourage children and youth to practice basic life skills;
- When children and youth face problems they cannot solve by themselves, personnel offer suggestions;
- Personnel show children and youth new tasks or activities by showing the steps as well as telling about them;
- Personnel write down instructions for activities so that children and youth can remember what to do;
- Personnel pay attention to culture and gender variations in learning styles; and
- Personnel encourage children and youth to try new activities.
Personnel encourage children and youth to make choices and become more responsible by:
- offering assistance in a way that supports initiative;
- assisting without taking control;
- encouraging children and youth to take leadership roles;
- giving children and youth frequent opportunities to choose what they will do, how they will do it, and with whom; and
- assisting children and youth in making informed and responsible choices.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Personnel help children and youth find ways to pursue their own interests;
- Personnel say “yes” to reasonable requests and ideas for activities;
- Personnel help children and youth plan projects and gather resources;
- Personnel give clear directions so that children and youth can proceed independently;
- Personnel encourage children and youth to proceed on their own;
- Children and youth have frequent opportunities to choose their companions;
- Children and youth help prepare and/or serve their own food;
- Children and youth set up activities and/or clean up afterwards;
- Personnel remind children and youth to think about how their actions may affect others;
- Personnel ask questions that guide children and youth to make good decisions; and
- Personnel help children and youth understand the impact the impact of their decisions on others.
The agency enrolls children and youth with special needs, and makes reasonable accommodations to help them fully participate in the program.
Interpretation: As referenced in the Glossary, children and youth may have special needs that are related to physical, behavioral, medical, emotional, or cognitive conditions. Accordingly, appropriate accommodations will vary based on the needs presented. For example, it might be necessary to develop a behavior plan, train personnel to meet medical needs, or adapt space to permit wheelchair access.
Agencies should ensure that they comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The goal of the ADA is not to put strain on out-of-school time programs, but rather to encourage “reasonable accommodations” to integrate individuals with disabilities to the degree possible. Accordingly, reasonable accommodations should be made before it is decided that a particular child or youth is not appropriate for a program.
Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:
- Personnel are knowledgeable about the ADA;
- Personnel are guided by the ADA in making decisions about serving children and youth with special needs;
- Personnel meet with families to address the needs of children and youth;
- Personnel make an effort to support goals set by Special Education Teams or included in Individualized Education Plans;
- Personnel work closely together to provide consistency for children with behavior issues;
- Personnel consult specialists to learn how best to help children with special needs;
- Specialists are used for certain activities, if needed;
- Personnel seek advice from doctors and nurses about medical issues;
- Personnel adapt program activities so they are fully accessible to participants with special needs;
- Children and youth with special needs are actively and appropriately involved and engaged during most of the time they spend at the program;
- Personnel encourage and facilitate appropriate interactions between children and youth with special needs and their peers;
- Facilities are accessible for children and youth with disabilities;
- The agency removes structural barriers by constructing ramps, widening doorways, removing obstructing furniture, widening toilet stalls, installing grab bars, or making other similar modifications, where such modifications are feasible;
- There are enough ramped and paved areas in the outdoor space for children and youth in wheelchairs to be able to use the playground; and
- The modifications made to the environment and programming enable children and youth with special needs to function more independently.
Note: See PA-OST 4.05 for more information about responding appropriately to children and youth with special behavioral needs.
