Field Trips, Excursions, and Activities
Policies Applicable to All Field Trips, Excursions, and Activities
The policies listed below apply to all excursions, including but not limited to trips for parish religious education, youth ministry and youth groups, traditional class field trips, travel for specific group events (e.g., choir, adult retreats and outings, science fairs, and academic decathlon), graduation and other celebratory trips, athletic games and practices, and certain ministerial and extracurricular activities held at locations. Contracts for field trips, excursions, and activities must follow the rules on signing authority.
Locations may, at their option, plan trips and activities for one or more days, including overnight field trips, retreats, and other excursions. All excursions, whether day or overnight, must comply with the following requirements:
The excursion must be approved in advance by the person in charge or, if cosponsored or sponsored by an outside entity, by the regional bishop's office or the Department of Catholic Schools, as applicable.
Traditional field trips for elementary school and high school classes must have specific educational goals for students.
For excursions outside a 100-mile radius of the location, in which the participants are students or youth, the person in charge should consider the budgetary constraints of parents/guardians, the excursion's financial impact on other fund-raising activities, and class work that students will miss.
The person in charge should have a detailed itinerary of any field trip or excursion that involves travel and hotel accommodations, including contact information for all transportation and lodging vendors, coordinators, and sponsors. Verify the licensing and Better Business Bureau ratings of travel agencies, especially those that operate only online.
On field trips, excursions, or activities with participants who are minors, the supervising adult must have in his or her possession a signed and dated Student and Youth Activity Permission Form (English version and Spanish version) for each minor.
On field trips, excursions, or activities with participants who are minors who take medication, the supervising adult must have in his or her possession a signed and dated Medication Authorization and Permission Form for each minor who takes medication. During the excursion, the supervising adult also must have any necessary medications in his or her possession.
All participants—adults and minors—must have appropriate identification and, as necessary, travel documents.
All chaperones and any vendors who both provide the trip and have contact with minors must follow archdiocesan safe environment policies, including fingerprinting requirements and background checks. No chaperone should ever be alone with a minor who is not his or her own child.
The supervising adult or adult group leader must have immediate access to a first aid kit. First aid kits must be in all vehicles that transport participants to and from activities.
In any area where there may be poisonous snakes, the group must have a snake bite kit.
Vehicles used to transport participants must adhere to the rules on transportation for parishes and schools set forth in Transportation for Parishes and Schools.
The supervising adult on field trips, excursions, or activities involving minors must have immediate access to student emergency information.
At least one adult chaperone for field trips, excursions, or activities involving minors shall be in possession of a cell phone.
Chaperones driving minors should be at least 25 years old. Non-driving chaperones should be at least 21 years old.
Both male and female chaperones must supervise coed events.
There should be at least two chaperones on every trip and two chaperones of each sex on every coed trip, so that no chaperone is alone with a minor. The number of chaperones who must be present to supervise minors should be decided on a case-by-case basis, giving consideration to the age of the participants and the nature of the activity. Locations with any questions should contact the Department of Catholic Schools or the Office of Religious Education.
Clergy/staff members/faculty/volunteers who supervise minors or young adults, or who are group leaders of parish- or school-sponsored activities, may not be under the influence of alcohol or any substance that can cause impairment and may not offer alcohol or any controlled substance (except medication that is prescribed for a minor or young adult) to anyone under age 21.
Adult participants should fill out and sign the Adult Consent and Release Form.
Policies for International Travel With Minors
General Requirements
Any group traveling internationally under the sponsorship of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, or any parish or school, must have the approval of the person in charge who shall designate one participating adult as the group leader ("Leader") and a second participating adult as the assistant leader ("Assistant"). The Leader will have overall management responsibility. Should something happen to the Leader, the Assistant should be sufficiently familiar with the policies and procedures applicable to the trip to assume the Leader's responsibility if needed.
All trips must adhere to the policies and procedures of the Archdiocesan Administrative Handbook (handbook.la-archdiocese.org) under section 12.3.1.1 - Policies Applicable to All Field Trips, Excursions, and Activities. Section 12.3.1.1, contains the required release forms, medical forms, safe environment/fingerprinting requirements, and insurance requirements. Necessary forms are linked within this section.
Packing, especially for first time international travelers. (Packing appropriately for weather and activities, mode of travel, etc. Poor packing can affect the group's ability to travel smoothly.)
Medications and prescriptions. Members of the group who need to take medication during the trip, must consult with their physician prior to leaving, particularly if they rely upon access to particular medications or require some accommodation for their medications, and must carry with them a copy of their prescription(s) (For minors, these must be documented using forms found in section 12.3.1.1 above).
When a group is traveling with minors, the Leader, Assistant and chaperones have supervisory responsibility at all times during the trip. Therefore, the Leader, Assistant and chaperones should not use alcohol, illicit or recreational drugs at any time. Other adult participants should not be under the influence of alcohol, nor illicit or recreational drugs in the presence of minors. Alcohol, illicit substances, and recreational drugs may never be given to minors.
Requirements for Adults Traveling in a Group With Minors
Any group traveling with minors must ensure all adults (18 and over) in the group, including other participants, clergy, parish or school staff, volunteers, chaperones and parents:
Are fingerprinted by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and verification of compliance is confirmed on VPIN (Volunteer and Personal Information Network). Fingerprinting Office phone: (213) 637-7411.
Comply with the VIRTUS® Safe Environment Training by:
Minors must not be roomed with those 18 or over, unless they are with a parent or relative.
Copies of proof of Fingerprinting, current VIRTUS® Certificate, Guidelines for Adults, and Release of Liability must be on file with the sponsoring parish or school.
Requirements for Minors Under the Age Of 16
The Archdiocese strongly discourages bringing minors under 16 years of age to international events. However, if the sponsoring archdiocesan entity allows minors under the age of 16 to participate, the minor must be accompanied by a parent/guardian, or another family member (grandparent, aunt, uncle, or sibling) who is 21 years of age or older and is designated by the parent/guardian in a written, notarized document stating that the designated person has the authority to act "in loco parentis". This document is required in addition to all the other required documents. The accompanying family member/legal guardian must comply with all policies and procedures established by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Requirements for Minors Aged 16 to 17 Traveling Without a Parent
All minors shall sign a conduct agreement, which must include an acknowledgement by the minor and his/her parent/guardian that if the minor is sent home for any breach of the conduct agreement, the parent/guardian will be responsible for any and all costs associated with the transportation home.
Minors Aged 16 to 17 Traveling With a Parent
Age of Chaperones – Adult/Minor Ratio
Policies Related to World Youth Day
All policies stated above apply to World Youth Day, with the addition of these particular instructions:
