For parents and guardians
Parent and safety information
JJP puts young people aged 10 to 14 into real, paid, supervised work. This page explains how that is kept safe. Where something is not settled yet, it says so, rather than inventing an answer to fill the space.
Skip to the questions parents askThe four promises
Four promises, and what each one means in practice
These are the four things JJP holds itself to on every single project. Here is what each one actually looks like on the day.
Promise 1
Every project is vetted and approved.
Someone with work that needs doing describes the job. JJP reviews it and approves it before it is offered to a crew. Nothing reaches your child that has not been through that step, and a project that is not right for young people aged 10 to 14 does not run.
Promise 2
Every crew leader is background checked.
Leading a crew is something an adult applies to do, and the background check is part of that application, not a formality added afterwards. No adult supervises a JJP crew without one.
Promise 3
Every child is supervised by two or more adults at all times.
Two or more adults, not one, and for the whole time the crew is working rather than the start and the end of it. Crews are deliberately small, 4 to 6 young people, so nobody is left to get on with it unnoticed.
Promise 4
Every young person is treated with respect and given meaningful, age-appropriate work.
Young people on a JJP crew are treated as people doing a real job. The work is chosen to suit what somebody aged 10 to 14 can genuinely take on, crew leaders are there to mentor as well as supervise, and the skills that come out of a project are meant to be ones a young person carries with them.
Supervision
What supervision actually looks like
Two numbers do most of the work here, and neither of them is negotiable.
2+
adults present
at all times, on every project
4 to 6
young people in a crew
small enough that nobody gets lost in it
Two or more adults means cover
If one adult has to deal with something, the crew is not suddenly unsupervised. There is always another adult with them.
Crews stay small
A crew is 4 to 6 young people, which is a group two or more adults can genuinely keep track of.
The leader works alongside them
Crew leaders are there to mentor and supervise, which means being in the work with the crew rather than watching from a distance.
What to expect
What you can expect from us
Saying yes to this should not feel like a leap of faith. Five things hold true every time your child goes out with a crew, and the last one is the one we would want to read first if we were you.
A job somebody checked first
Your child is never matched to a project that has not been reviewed and approved.
An adult who was checked first
A background check is a condition of leading a crew, not a box ticked later.
Two or more adults, the whole time
Not one adult. Not two for part of it. Two or more, for as long as the crew is working.
Paid work, not a free afternoon
Your child is not being asked to give up their time for nothing. The work is paid work.
A straight answer, including "not yet"
JJP is new, and some things are still being settled. Where that is true, this page says so instead of inventing a policy. If you need an answer before your child takes part, ask, and you will get the real one.
Questions
Questions parents ask
Answered as far as we can answer them today. Where an answer is not settled, it says so, because a policy written to fill a gap on a web page is worth nothing to you.
How old does my child need to be?
JJP is for young people aged 10 to 14. Crew leaders are adults, who apply separately.
How many young people are on a crew, and who is with them?
A crew is 4 to 6 young people, led by a crew leader who has been background checked. Two or more adults are present at all times while the crew is working.
What sort of work would my child be doing?
Community work booked by a project host: a yard that needs work, a community space that needs cleaning up. Every project is reviewed and approved by JJP before it goes live, so every job is safe, legal, and worth showing up for.
Where do projects happen?
JJP is based in Arkansas, and young people are matched to available projects in their area. If you want to know whether we are working near you yet, ask us and we will tell you straight.
How much would my child be paid?
Young people are paid for the work they do. We are not printing a rate on this page until it is confirmed, because a number that changes later is worse than no number at all.
Ask us before your child takes on a project and we will tell you what that project pays.
We will confirm this with you directly
Is this legal for a 10 year old? What about work permits?
JJP's own standard is that an approved project is safe and legal, and the approval step exists to make sure of it. How that works for a specific project is something we will go through with you directly rather than summarise on a web page.
We will confirm this with you directly
Are you insured?
Ask us directly and we will answer it properly and in writing. A one-line reassurance on a web page would not tell you what you actually need to know.
We will confirm this with you directly
How does my child get to and from a project?
We will confirm transport with you for each project rather than assume anything. Please agree it with us before your child sets off.
We will confirm this with you directly
What happens if something goes wrong while the crew is working?
Two or more adults are with the crew the whole time, which is the first part of the answer. The written procedure for reporting and following up is something we will give you, rather than paraphrase in a paragraph here.
We will confirm this with you directly
Can I speak to the person who will be supervising my child?
Ask. It is a reasonable thing to want before you say yes, and we would far rather you asked than wondered. Get in touch and we will sort it out with you.
We will confirm this with you directly
How do I sign my child up?
Start with the sign-up form and we will take it from there. A young person signs up, gets matched to available projects in their area, shows up, works hard, and gets paid.
Still not sure? Ask us.
No question about your own child is too small or too awkward. If something here matters to you and it is not settled yet, ask, and you will get the honest version.
Want the step by step first? Read how it works.