West Suburban YMCA Joins Nationwide Five Days of Action to Protect Children and Promote Digital Safety

The West Suburban YMCA is joining Ys across the country for Five Days of Action®, a weeklong campaign running April 13-17, 2026, designed to raise awareness and inspire action to protect children from abuse, with a special focus this year on digital safety for kids.

Throughout the week, the West Suburban YMCA will share resources, host staff training and pledge signing, and provide education to help parents and caregivers navigate the ever-changing digital world. The YMCA believes that every adult has a role to play in protecting children, online and off.

“Technology is an amazing tool for learning and connection, but it also presents new risks,” said Jack Fucci, President and CEO of the West Suburban YMCA. “By working together and staying informed, we can create safer digital spaces for all children.”

At the West Suburban YMCA, steps are taken to ensure a safe environment for every child who enters the building, enrolls in a program, or attends summer camp. These steps include pre-employment screenings that consist of a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check & Sexual Offender Registry Information (SORI) check, and comprehensive reference checks that include standardized questions for assessing risk for abuse. Once an employee is hired, they complete an extensive Child Abuse Prevention Training Program, which is repeated annually, and are mandated to report any suspected abuse. Policies exist to ensure that staff and volunteers are never alone with a child, and all interaction between staff and child must be observable and interruptible.

The Five Days of Action campaign encourages adults to learn how to recognize red flags, start open conversations with children, access digital safety resources, and take the official pledge to protect kids at fivedaysofaction.org. For more information, visit wsymca.org/safekids.

About the West Suburban YMCA

The West Suburban YMCA is a charitable nonprofit organization that has been a fixture in the Newton community for over 145 years.The Y is committed to strengthening the foundations of the community by supporting youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility for all. Learn more at WSYMCA.org.