Health and Safety Guidelines
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Safety first!
In Girl Scouting, the safety and well-being of girls is a top priority. Here we highlight resources and forms you’ll need for keeping Girl Scouts safe including health forms, Safety Activity Checkpoints, and incident and insurance forms.
Health
It’s important to know your girls’ health needs as they pertain to Girl Scout activities as well as basic health guidelines and practices—like first aid—for ensuring the well-being and safety of girls. These may include food allergies, medications, and abilities. To collect this information from girls, have their parents/guardians fill out the appropriate forms below.
Health Forms
Allergy and Anaphylaxis Action Plan (PDF) – Parent/guardians and troop leaders should review this form together to ensure a clear understanding of a girl’s allergy and action plan in the event of an allergic reaction.
Health History Form – English (PDF) or (Español/Spanish Version) (PDF) – Documents health information and authorizes first aid and emergency transport to a healthcare facility.
Medication Information Form (PDF) – Documents medication information and permission to dispense.
First Aid
Make sure a general first aid kit is available at your meeting place and accompanies girls on any activity including transportation. Please be aware that you may need to provide this kit if one is not available at your meeting place. For many troop activities, Girl Scouts recommends that at least one volunteer be first-aid/CPR certified. This certification course can be completed on your own time through providers in your community. Healthcare providers may already be a part of your troop’s friends and family network so, ask around to see who may already be a qualified first-aider for troop activities. Refer to Safety Activity Checkpoints (PDF) for more information on when a first-aider needs to be present.
Safety and Safety Activty Checkpoints (SAC)
Safety is a top priority in Girl Scouting. As a Girl Scout volunteer, it is important to have an understanding of what is required of when it comes to safety practices, emergency procedures, and how to be prepared to lead activities safely. Be sure to familiarize yourself with Girl Scouts’ Safety Activity Checkpoint documents.
Download Safety Activity Checkpoints (PDF)
Download Spanish Translation of Safety Activity Checkpoints (PDF)
When you download Safety Activity Checkpoints, you will find detailed information on the following topics:
Knowing your responsibilities as a volunteer, such as
Reporting abuse
Traveling safely
Ensuring safe overnight outings
Role-modeling the right behavior
Creating an emotionally safe space
Ensuring that no Girl Scout is treated differently
Promoting online safety
Keeping Girl Scouts safe during money-earning activities
Parent/guardian and Girl Scout responsibilities
Knowing how many volunteers you need, which shows the minimum number of adults needed to supervise a specific number of Girl Scouts
Transporting Girl Scouts safely, including bus and motor coach use, and a checklist for drivers
Product sales program safety
Computer and online safety
Approaching activities (types of activities, health histories, Girl Scout insurance, and using activity experts)
Accidents and emergencies (first aid, reporting abuse, chaperone guidelines, preparing for emergencies, what to do if there’s an emergency, procedures for accidents and incidents, protecting Girl Scouts safety)
Girl Scouts River Valleys’ guidelines for chaperones
Additionally, Girl Scout Safety Activity Checkpoints are detailed procedures for ensuring safety while planning and participating in particular activities such as swimming, hiking, archery, horseback riding, parades, and more. You’ll find information on how to include girls of all abilities, gear you may need, having proper supervision, preparing for emergencies, and other safety topics specific to the activities you and your girls will be participating in.
Points Common to All Safety Activity Checkpoints:
Girl Scouts plan the activity.
Arrange for proper adult supervision of Girl Scouts.
Get parent/guardian permission by using the Troop Activity Permission Slip (PDF).
Communicate with council and parents.
Be prepared for emergencies and compile a list of key contacts.
Check Safety Activity Checkpoints to determine the type of first aid needed.
Get a weather report on the morning of the activity to determine if conditions are appropriate.
Use the buddy system.
Incident, Claims and Insurance Forms
Enrollment Forms
All current Girl Scout members are automatically covered under a basic activity accident insurance plan. This plan covers registered members for supervised Girl Scout activities. It allows members to recoup any out-of-pocket expenses from an accident that may have taken place during an approved Girl Scouts Activity or overnight trip.
As of Oct 1, 2023: If you are coordinating an event or activity in which non-members are invited, they are also covered under this insurance. This includes young children of troop volunteers at Girl Scout meetings. There is no need to request supplemental insurance.
If an organization or property owner that you are working with requests proof of insurance, what they are requesting is a Certificate of Insurance (COI). Use the Certificate of Insurance Request Form for those requests.
Crises, Accidents, Incidents, and Claims
Accident/Incident Report – In the event of an accident/incident at a Girl Scout activity, this form should be submitted within 24 hours of the accident/incident. River Valleys will reach out to you within 5 business days and provide assistance as appropriate.
Mutual of Omaha Claim Form (PDF) or (Español/Spanish Version) (PDF) – Fill out insurance claim form from Mutual of Omaha for participants to recoup out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Also see filing instructions (PDF) and fraud statement (PDF).
Crisis and Safety Management Report (PDF) – Use this confidential form to report observations and conversations in the event of a crisis.
Adult-to-Girl Ratios for Troop Meetings
The adult-to-girl ratio for Troop Meetings means a minimum of two registered, approved, adult volunteers who are unrelated, including one female, must be present at troop meetings for up to this number of girls:
- 12 Girl Scout Daisies
- 20 Girl Scout Brownies
- 25 Girl Scout Juniors
- 25 Girl Scout Cadettes
- 30 Girl Scout Seniors
- 30 Girl Scout Ambassadors
With one extra registered, approved, adult volunteer for every additional:
- 1–6 Girl Scout Daisies
- 1–8 Girl Scout Brownies
- 1–10 Girl Scout Juniors
- 1–12 Girl Scout Cadettes
- 1–15 Girl Scout Seniors
- 1–15 Girl Scout Ambassadors
Adult-to-Girl Ratios for Outings, Activities, Camping and Travel
The adult-to-girl ratio for outings, activities, camping, and travel means a minimum of two registered, approved, adult volunteers who are unrelated, including one female, must be present for up to this number of girls:
- 6 Girl Scout Daisies
- 12 Girl Scout Brownies
- 16 Girl Scout Juniors
- 20 Girl Scout Cadettes
- 24 Girl Scout Seniors
- 24 Girl Scout Ambassadors
With one extra registered, approved, adult volunteer for every additional:
- 1–4 Girl Scout Daisies
- 1–6 Girl Scout Brownies
- 1–8 Girl Scout Juniors
- 1–10 Girl Scout Cadettes
- 1–12 Girl Scout Seniors
- 1–12 Girl Scout Ambassadors
Some high-adventure activities may require more adult-to-girl supervision than stated above. For those activities, the individual activity’s safety activity checkpoints will provide the specific adult-to-girl supervision ratios. Remember, some activities are less safe for younger members, particularly Daisies and Brownies. Younger Girl Scout members may not be permitted to participate based on their age, as appropriate, and this will be specified on the individual activity’s safety activity checkpoints. In cases where younger girl participation is an option, but only under certain conditions, this is indicated on the first page of the individual activity’s safety activity checkpoints.
Note: For mixed-grade level troops (Multi-Level Troops), always use the adult-to-girl ratio for the lowest grade level in the troop. For example, if the troop consists of Daisies and Brownies, the Daisy adult-to-girl ratio should be followed.
Child Safety and Madated Reporting
Safety and protection of girls is Girl Scouts River Valleys’ and its volunteers’ top shared priority. As a youth-serving organization, Girl Scouts River Valleys is required to report any suspected abuse or maltreatment of minors as applicable by Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa state laws. Volunteers are not mandated reporters in MN, WI, or IA, and are not required to report to authorities, but must report any suspected abuse or neglect to Girl Scouts River Valleys.
If you would like to report concerns to authorities (in addition to Girl Scouts River Valleys council staff), reports are to be made in the county where the child’s legal guardian resides.
Minnesota: Local child protection, police department or county sheriff’s office
Wisconsin: The county Department of Health and Family Services, the sheriff or police department
Iowa: The Iowa Department of Human Services, county attorney or law enforcement Agency
Any volunteer involved in a current situation where a girl is believed to be in immediate danger should:
Call 911 or the local police.
Keep the child in their care until appropriate assistance arrives.
For confidential, risk-free advice from professional crisis counselors dedicated to the prevention of child abuse: call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
Review Girl Scouts River Valleys’ Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse Policy for more details.
Summary of Resources
- Allergy and Anaphylaxis Action Plan (PDF) – Parent/guardians and troop leaders should review this form together to ensure a clear understanding of a girl’s allergy and action plan in the event of an allergic reaction.
- Health History Form – English (PDF) – Documents health information and authorizes first aid and emergency transport to a healthcare facility.
- Health History Form – Spanish (PDF)– Documents health information and authorizes first aid and emergency transport to a healthcare facility.
- Medication Information Form (PDF) – Documents medication information and permission to dispense.
- Safety Activity Checkpoints – English (PDF) – These are detailed procedures for ensuring safety while planning and participating in particular activities such as swimming, hiking, archery, horseback riding, parades, and more.
- Safety Activity Checkpoints – Spanish (PDF) – These are detailed procedures for ensuring safety while planning and participating in particular activities such as swimming, hiking, archery, horseback riding, parades, and more.
- Supplemental Insurance Request Form – Use this online form if you are planning an activity that will last longer than two consecutive nights.
- Mutual of Omaha Claim Forms – See English and Spanish versions of the Mutual of Omaha claim form.
- Accident/Incident Report – In the event of an accident/incident at a Girl Scout activity, this form should be submitted within 24 hours of the accident/incident.
- Crisis and Safety Management Report (PDF) – Download and return this confidential form to report observations and conversations in the event of a crisis.
- Annual Troop Permission Slip (PDF) – For parent/guardians to fill out prior to taking basic trips that are less than four hours drive, are two nights or less, and are not considered high-risk activities.
- Troop Activity Permission Slip (PDF) – For parents/guardians to fill out prior to special troop activities.
