YMCA of the Sandhills earns highest recognition for child safety standards
By Staff Report, posted Jul 22, 2026 on BizFayetteville.com
The YMCA of the Sandhills has earned Praesidium Accreditation®, reflecting its commitment to the highest standards in child safety and abuse prevention.
As a youth-serving organization impacting hundreds of children and teens through afterschool, camp, swimming and leadership development programs, creating safe, supportive environments is foundational to the Y’s mission.
Praesidium is the leading innovator of scientifically based solutions designed to transform the way organizations approach the prevention of sexual abuse. Praesidium’s expertise, consulting and solutions help to foster safer environments for children, vulnerable adults, staff, volunteers, and all parties involved.
To achieve Praesidium Accreditation, the Y underwent a rigorous process to implement Praesidium’s standards, focusing on eight primary operational areas: policies, screening and selection, training, monitoring and supervision, internal feedback systems, consumer participation, responding and administrative practices.
For over 30 years, Praesidium has trained more than one million people online and hundreds of thousands in person. As the largest and most comprehensive sexual abuse risk management firm globally, Praesidium knows how sexual abuse happens and, more importantly, how to prevent it.
“Families trust us with what matters most—their children," said Jeff Darling, CEO of YMCA of the Sandhills in a press release. "Earning Praesidium Accreditation is more than meeting standards. It truly reflects our entire organization’s dedication to a culture of safety and our drive to proactively keep those in our care safe from sexual abuse. We’re proud to earn this distinction and to be recognized as a leader in child protection in the region.”
Chealsea Sias, the Y’s Association Director of Youth Development, is a Certified Praesidium Guardian™--a designation earned in February this year through a stringent process focused on preventing abuse and strengthening safety practices. Sias led the Y’s work in achieving accreditation.
The YMCA of the Sandhills is accredited by Praesidium for three years. Learn more about the Y’s commitment to child protection at ymcaofthesandhills.org/child-safety.
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