Policy for Supervising Transportation of Children

Youth transportation policies surrounding documentation, roll calls, employee-to-child ratios, unauthorized stops, seating arrangements, public transportation, etc.

Requires written parent/guardian permission signed and dated from all children on the trip. Employees will take these permission forms and medical releases with them on the trip.
Use the “rule of three” when transporting children: At least two employees must transport a single child, or at least two children must be present if transported by a single employee.
Require employees to have names of the children on the trip. The employees take roll call when boarding the bus, when leaving the bus, periodically throughout the trip, and then again when boarding the bus.
Where applicable, require employees to document the beginning and ending time of the trip and the mileage, other employees and volunteers who are involved in transportation, purpose of the transportation, and the destination.
Specify employee-to-child ratios of 1 adult to every 10 children for pre-k to 5th grade, ratios of 1 adult to 12 children for 6th to 12th grade. When possible, do not count the driver in the supervision ratio.
Require employees to sit in seats that permit maximum supervision. If possible, employees should not share seats with children.
Discourage mixed age groups or developmental levels from sitting together. When possible, high-risk children are seated alone or close to an employee.
Prohibit drivers from making unauthorized stops.
Children may not be brought to the employee’s home or the home of any employee’s family member.
Require documentation of any unusual occurrences by completing an incident report. When public transportation is used (in addition to the transportation procedures listed above):
Children should remain in one area of the bus/train, if possible.
Employees and volunteers assigned to a group should remain with them.
When transporting children overnight, employees must always remain awake.