FAQ for Minors

The Institute has adopted the Minors policy to provide guidance for those in the Caltech community who participate in programs or activities that involve minors. The primary goal of the policy is to promote the well-being and safety of minors who participate in programs run by or associated with Caltech. The policy also clarifies responsibilities for reporting child abuse and neglect and provides guidance and support to help those who work with minors manage problems and avoid mistaken allegations.

The Guidelines for Programs with Minors document sets forth guidelines and procedures for employees, students, volunteers and others who are working with Minors, including procedures for programs directed at Minors who are not matriculated Caltech students, to register with the Center for Teaching, Learning & Outreach. For more information, please contact the Center for Teaching, Learning, & Outreach (CTLO): 626-395-4641 or [email protected].

Please see the Minors Sponsored Events or Programs for Minors Website.

If you are not involved with any minor programs, most of the provisions of the policy will not apply to you. If you are bringing Minors as Volunteers, please follow HR's Minors Visitors Process.

Everyone, however, is expected to help to protect the safety and well-being of minors with whom they may interact, and report known or suspected abuse or neglect of a minor. For more information, you should review the Standards for Interacting with Minors

California law requires employees of post secondary institutions whose duties bring them into contact with children under 18 on a regular basis, or who supervise employees whose duties bring them into contact with children on a regular basis, to report any suspected child abuse or neglect occurring on the institution's premises, or at an official activity of, or program conducted, by the institution.

California law also requires professionals who work with children, such as doctors, psychologists, emergency personnel and others to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

Please see the Minors Mandated Reporter website.

If you know, suspect, or receive information indicating that a minor has been abused or neglected or is otherwise unsafe, you must report it. Information on signs of abuse and neglect is available in the Standards for Interacting with Minors.

To report, please see the Minors Mandated Reporter website.

To report, please see the Minors Mandated Reporter website.

If you have any suspicion that a child has been abused or neglected, report it---even when you have doubts, it is better to report your suspicions than to ignore them. If you encounter a situation in which you are uncertain or feel uncomfortable, contact Campus Security:

• [email protected]
• Non-emergency (626) 395-4701
• Emergency (626) 395-5000

Mandated Reporters must report child abuse or neglect immediately or as soon as practicably possible. To report, please see the Minors Mandated Reporter website.

Mandated reporters are identified by their departments & divisions. Notify Human Resources by utilizing the Minors Mandated Reporter Training website.

Yes. The Institute is committed to promoting the safety and well-being of minors on campus and involved in campus programs and activities, and expects all members of the Caltech community to behave appropriately and follow all applicable requirements when interacting with minors. A minor or child is anyone under the age of 18. All faculty, staff and students who are involved in an Institute-run or affiliated program or activity involving minors should review the Standards for Interacting with Minors.

Notify Human Resources by utilizing the Minors Mandated Reporter Training website.

The Institute is committed to promoting the well-being and safety of children who participate in Institute programs or activities and in programs that outside organizations deliver on campus. Criminal background checks may reveal prior convictions that would make it inappropriate for someone to participate in a program or activity with minors.

Please see the Minors Mandated Reporter Training website.

All staff, faculty and students who are Mandated Reporters must have a criminal background check. A conviction for any crime may be considered in the decision whether to exclude an individual from supervising or interacting with minors. At campus, contact Employment and Organizational Development for more information or at JPL contact Human Resources at (818) 354-7506.

Start your planning with a call or email to Mitch Aiken [email protected] (626-395-4641) in Caltech's Center for Teaching, Learning and Outreach and the Minors Caltech Sponsored Events, Programs, or Activities website for guidance on protocols required for various scenarios.

For example, if you are hosting a field trip or lab tour for a group of students and their chaperones, you'd only need to get approval from your Division Administrator or Department Manager and collect liability waivers from participants in advance. If you are planning a program that will bring students to campus for an extended class or activity, where the students would not be accompanied by their parent or chaperone, then other procedures would apply. If a student is coming to Caltech for a summer of research, then they would need to be registered through HR as Caltech Volunteers, which would involve background checks and Mandated Reporter training for mentors interacting with them, approval from the Caltech Environmental Health and Safety office and parental signatures. Overnight visits also bring an additional set of protocols and planning. Admissions and Athletic Recruitment visits by minors fall under a separate set of guidelines. Each situation is different, so checking in early will help you determine what type of program or visit that you would like to offer, and your responsibilities related to the specific situation.

Under the provisions of state and federal law, as well as Caltech's Minors personnel memorandum ("Minors policy"), minors may not be employed, intern or volunteer in any hazardous occupations. In addition, minors working, interning or volunteering in laboratories must be approved by the Division Chair or designee in consultation with the supervising Principal Investigator and be registered through Human Resources. Consideration for approval takes into account the potential hazards associated with the specific research, the types of equipment to be used, and any potential hazards associated with the specific research, and any potential chemical and/or biological exposures.

Please contact the EH&S Office ([email protected]) at 626-395-6727 or Office of Research Policy ([email protected]) at 626-395-2907 for more information.

Please see Minors in Research webpage and on boarding process for Minor Visitors.

No, with the exception of certain Caltech internal programs, our summer programs for K-12 students are designed as day programs for local students.