DEPARTMENT: Parks and Recreation
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Xavier D. Urrutia
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Self-Monitoring Standards for the Youth Recreation Programs
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the adoption of Self-Monitoring Standards for the Parks and Recreation Department's recreation programs to comply with Texas Department of Family and Protective Services regulations.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Parks and Recreation Department has provided recreational summer programs for youth for over 25 years. These programs provide supervised, structured recreational activities to children ages six (6) through fourteen (14) years. The programs operate for eight weeks and serve over 5,700 children at over 60 sites each summer, consisting of both Parks Community Centers and school sites.
These recreation programs are available to registered participants at each site and have a twenty-five to one (25:1) participant to staff ratio. Youth participate in a variety of activities such as math and science enrichment programs, as well as theme programming. These recreation programs have operated under Self-Monitoring Standards since 2003. The 2015 Self-Monitoring Standards required no changes from last year.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (TDFPS) allows an exemption from child care licensing regulations to municipally operated recreation programs that serve school age youth and adopt Self-Monitoring Standards. These standards must include staffing ratios, minimum staff qualifications, minimum facility health and safety standards, mechanisms for monitoring and enforcement; and are required to be adopted annually. Copies of the Self- Monitoring Standards are provided to the parents of all program participants as required. Should the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department pursue any other programs requiring Self-Monitoring, these standards would apply as well.
Parks and Recreation staff conducts comprehensive compliance reviews to ensure that guidelines are achieved at each program site. The State reserves the right to visit sites and inspect records to evaluate compliance of Self-Monitoring Standards.
The recommended standards were presented on February 23, 2015, to the City's Parks and Recreation Board, which approved adoption of the proposed standards. Opportunity for citizen input was provided for at the Parks Board meeting.
ISSUE:
This action adopts Self-Monitoring Standards for the Parks and Recreation Department's summer youth recreation programs to comply with Texas Department of Family and Protective Services regulations.
ALTERNATIVES:
The alternative to this action is to operate the program without these standards, and for the city to move toward operating licensed child care facilities. The Parks and Recreation Department has operated under these standards since 2003 with oversight from the State.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the adoption of these Self-Monitoring Standards.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the adoption of the Self-Monitoring Standards for the Parks and Recreation Department's summer youth recreation programs.