Supervision of Minors

Appropriate supervision is essential to providing a safe environment for youth participants. Review supervision ratio requirements, expectations for effective supervision, responsibilities of supervising adults, and considerations for high-risk activities and locations.

Supervision Ratios

University Policy 8.8 requires Cornell-affiliated programs to meet or exceed the following minimum supervision ratios:

Participant Age Group	Number of residential (overnight) participants**	Number of non-residential participants**	Number of supervising adults*
5 and under	5	6	1
6-8 years	6	8	1
9-14 years	8	10	1
15-18 years	10	12	1

*Programs must have a minimum of two supervising adults, regardless of program size, to prevent one-on-one interactions.

**Based on the nature and duration of the program, the activities planned, and the population served, RMI/CYS may require additional supervising adults beyond these minimum ratios.

Who Counts Toward Supervision Ratios

Supervision ratios apply only to adults who are actively assigned to supervise minors.

The following individuals do not count toward supervision ratios while performing these duties:

Teaching
Conducting research
Performing administrative or logistical tasks
Performing any other duties that prevent them from actively supervising participants

What Is Effective Supervision:

Effective supervision means:

Participants remain within sight of a supervising adult, except for infrequent and momentary periods.
Participants remain within reasonable hearing distance of an authorized person who is trained to recognize inappropriate or dangerous situations and understands their reporting obligations.
Supervision is maintained at all times, including during breaks, transitions, and periods between scheduled activities.
Minors are never permitted to travel independently across campus while in Cornell's care.

Responsibilities of Supervising Adults

Supervising adults:

Must understand and fulfill their responsibility for participant supervision.
Must actively monitor participants and continually assess the environment for health and safety concerns.
May not count older minors toward supervision ratios or assign them responsibility for supervising younger minors.

Optional Training Resources

Want to strengthen your supervision skills and confidence when working with youth? The following optional training modules provide practical guidance and strategies for maintaining safe and effective supervision.

Optional Training	Summary
Supervision Training: Day Programs	Learn practical strategies for maintaining appropriate supervision, preventing one-on-one interactions, managing transitions, and responding to common supervision challenges in day programs.
Supervision Training: Overnight/ Residential Programs	Explore supervision expectations and risk management practices specific to overnight and residential programs, including housing and nighttime supervision.

The following activities and locations may present an increased risk for abuse, misconduct, or safety concerns and required heightened supervision and vigilance.

HIGH-RISK ACTIVITIES:	Transportation Overnights/residential programming Field trips away from campus Transitions between activities Any situation where minors are changing clothes Activities with mixed age groups
HIGH-RISK LOCATIONS:	Bathrooms and locker rooms Out of the way locations Stairwells Unused rooms Any program room that lacks windows and is not visible to others

Observable and Interruptible Interactions

All interactions with minors in Cornell-affiliated programs must be observable and interruptible.

Private one-on-one interactions between authorized persons and minors are generally prohibited except when vital to the structure of the program, approved by RMI/CYS, and supported by written parental consent.

For additional guidance, please Contact Us.