A Groundbreaking 120-Day Guide to Child Protection for Youth-Serving Organizations

New Book Offers Step-by-Step Blueprint for Building Strong Safeguarding Policies to Protect Children and Strengthen Institutions

CA, UNITED STATES, July 16, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Youth-serving organizations (YSOs) across the globe face a critical dual reality: while they provide invaluable opportunities for children to grow and flourish, they also carry immense responsibility—and risk—when it comes to protecting those same children. A new book, Protecting Other People’s Children, offers a clear, practical, and expert-driven roadmap to help these organizations establish effective, sustainable child protection policies in just 120 days.

Co-authored by legal and safeguarding veterans Debbie Ausburn and Tom C. Rawlings—who bring more than 60 years of combined experience working
with schools, camps, churches, mentoring programs, and international aid agencies—Protecting Other People’s Children is more than just a guide. It’s a call to action for organizations to move beyond generic, cookie-cutter policies and instead create customized, culture-anchored safeguarding systems.

"Too many organizations adopt policies they don't understand or can't implement. This leaves kids at risk and the organizations exposed," says Ausburn, an attorney, former prosecutor, foster parent, and author of Raising Other People’s Children. "This book gives YSOs the tools and timeline to build something that truly works."

"Having seen firsthand how scandals and poor planning can destroy good organizations, we wanted to empower leaders to do more than just check a box," adds Rawlings, a board-certified child welfare attorney and former director of Georgia’s child protection agency. "This book is about building a culture of safety—one that protects children and supports those called to serve them."

Protecting Other People’s Children includes:
∙A 120-day action plan with timelines and checkpoints
∙Worksheets and checklists that clarify complex legal and operational standards
∙Tools for recruiting and vetting the right people—staff, volunteers, and leaders
∙Guidance on responding appropriately to serious incidents
∙Strategies to develop a “just culture” where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility

From small nonprofits to large faith-based institutions, this book equips YSOs to not only comply with safeguarding best practices, but to integrate them meaningfully into daily operations.

About the Authors
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