The IYSDF accreditation standard
Version 1.0 · effective September 2026
- 1
- Requirement
- Staff and volunteer screening
- Evidence the reviewer sees
- The screening roster lists every adult who has contact with children — staff and volunteers — with each one’s name, role and the date their Live Scan cleared. It also says how often Live Scan is re-run and where the results are kept.
- Pass rule
- Every listed adult has a Live Scan result on file, and none is older than the re-run cycle the program has set.
- 2
- Requirement
- Child abuse prevention policy and training
- Evidence the reviewer sees
- The abuse-prevention policy gives the date the policy was adopted and who suspected abuse is reported to, and records the mandated-reporter training each adult on the roster has completed.
- Pass rule
- Every listed adult has completed mandated-reporter training.
- 3
- Requirement
- The two-adult rule
- Evidence the reviewer sees
- The two-adult rule says where it applies, how the program makes it happen, and who a parent calls if they see it broken.
- Pass rule
- The rule is posted where parents can read it.
- 4
- Requirement
- Liability insurance, with abuse and molestation coverage
- Evidence the reviewer sees
- The insurance record names the carrier, the policy number and the agent, gives the dates the policy is in force from and to, says whether abuse and molestation coverage is included, and says where the certificate is kept.
- Pass rule
- The program has a current certificate of insurance showing abuse-and-molestation coverage. The standard sets no minimum limits; the reviewer records the limits shown on the certificate, and the certificate must be current and name the program.
- 5
- Requirement
- First aid on site
- Evidence the reviewer sees
- The first aid page lists who is first aid and CPR certified and when each certificate expires, and says where the first aid kit is. An AED is not required; if the program has one, the page says where it is.
- Pass rule
- At least one listed adult holds a first aid and CPR certificate that has not expired, and the location of the first aid kit is recorded.
- 6
- Requirement
- Emergency procedures
- Evidence the reviewer sees
- The emergency procedures give the program’s address as it is said to 911, the nearest emergency room and the nearest fire station, and name who calls 911, who stays with the child and who calls the parent.
- Pass rule
- The emergency procedure is posted.
- 7
- Requirement
- Incident reporting
- Evidence the reviewer sees
- The incident reporting page says who is told first, how soon parents are told, and where reports are kept.
- Pass rule
- The reviewer confirms the item is present and current.
- 8
- Requirement
- Emergency medical information form
- Evidence the reviewer sees
- The emergency medical form page says where at the venue completed forms are kept and who can open them in an emergency.
- Pass rule
- The reviewer confirms the item is present and current.
- 9
- Requirement
- Concussion protocol
- Evidence the reviewer sees
- The concussion protocol records who has completed concussion training, which repeats every two years, and says where signed information sheets are kept.
- Pass rule
- Every coach and owner has completed concussion training.
- 10
- Requirement
- Cardiac emergency protocol
- Evidence the reviewer sees
- The cardiac protocol records who has completed sudden cardiac arrest training and says where signed information sheets are kept. It also shows where the AED is, if the program has one, as recorded on the first aid page.
- Pass rule
- Every coach and owner has completed sudden cardiac arrest training.
- 11
- Requirement
- Registered and licensed
- Evidence the reviewer sees
- The registration and license page gives the program’s legal name and type, its state registration number and city business license number, its city, and the date the license expires.
- Pass rule
- The program’s legal form and city are on record, and its city business license has not expired.
What we read. Before any program carries the IYSDF seal, we read its documents — background-check records, written child-safety policies, insurance in force, first aid, an emergency plan, legal registration.
What we do. Then we go see it: a facility visit, or a live video walkthrough with two Federation reviewers. The seal is dated, expires, and can be revoked.
How long it lasts. The seal lasts one year and is renewed on documents, with a full re-visit every third year. It can be revoked — lapsed insurance, an unscreened adult, a substantiated complaint — and a revoked seal comes off the program’s verification page the same week. Have a concern about an accredited program? Write to info@iysdf.org, subject “IYSDF concern.” A person replies.
How the seal stays honest
- Term:
- one year from the date on the seal.
- Renewal:
- an updated insurance certificate, an updated screening roster, and a signed attestation that nothing in the standard has lapsed. A full re-visit every third year.
- Revocation:
- lapsed insurance, an unscreened adult with access to children, a complaint substantiated on review by the Federation, or refusal of a follow-up visit. A revoked seal comes off the verification page the same week, and the page says so.
- Concerns:
- any parent, coach, or club can write to info@iysdf.org (subject “IYSDF concern”) about an accredited program. Every message gets a reply from a person and a dated record.
- How a concern is handled:
- it is logged with a date, the program is told, a reviewer follows up, and a decision is recorded within thirty days.
In good standing means the seal is current, renewal documents are on file, and no revocation is open.