Youth Participation and Parent/Legal Custodian Consent Policy

Effective Date: September 17, 2026
Last Updated: September 17, 2026

RGV Road to Recovery IA is committed to providing age-appropriate, Christ-centered recovery education while protecting the privacy, safety, and dignity of children and teenagers.

This policy explains:

• Who may participate in youth programs;

• When adult permission is required;

• How requests involving children under 13 are reviewed;

• What information may be collected;

• How responsible adults may review or withdraw permission; and

• The safety and conduct expectations applicable to youth participation.

This policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and Recovery, Medical and Crisis Disclaimer.

1. Scope

This policy applies to youth participation in:

• Online recovery courses;

• Teen relapse-prevention courses;

• Website accounts;

• Online or in-person meetings;

• Mentoring;

• Course assignments and communications;

• Youth-oriented recovery resources;

• Forms requesting recovery assistance; and

• Other RGV Road to Recovery IA programs involving minors.

In this policy, “responsible adult” means a parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian who has authority to make decisions for the minor.

2. Nature of RGV Youth Programs

RGV Road to Recovery IA provides Christ-centered recovery education, Scripture-integrated resources, spiritual encouragement, mentoring, and peer support.

RGV youth programs are not:

• Emergency services;

• Medical care;

• Psychiatric or psychological treatment;

• Licensed substance-use disorder treatment;

• Medical detoxification;

• Medication management;

• Licensed mental-health counseling;

• Childcare or continuous supervision; or

• A substitute for professional assessment or treatment.

Parents, guardians, custodians, and agencies remain responsible for arranging appropriate professional and emergency assistance.

For immediate danger, suspected overdose, or a medical emergency, call 911. For suicide or mental-health crisis support in the United States, call or text 988.

3. Participants Ages 18 and Older

A person who is 18 or older may ordinarily create an account and consent to participation independently, subject to program requirements and the Terms of Use.

4. Participants Ages 13 Through 17

A participant who is 13 through 17 years old may create or use an account, enroll in a course, attend a youth meeting, or participate in another youth program only with permission from a parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian.

RGV may require:

• The responsible adult’s full name;

• Contact information;

• Relationship to the participant;

• Confirmation of legal authority;

• The participant’s name and date of birth;

• Identification of the requested course or program;

• Emergency-contact information;

• A signed or electronically verified authorization;

• Agreement to this policy and related legal notices; and

• Continued adult involvement when appropriate.

Registration does not guarantee acceptance. RGV may delay or decline participation when the program, available supervision, technology, privacy protections, or level of support is not appropriate for the youth’s needs.

5. Children Under 13

Children under 13 may not independently:

• Create a website account;

• Register for a course;

• Submit a recovery-help form;

• Enroll in a meeting;

• Send personal information to RGV;

• Participate in private online communications; or

• Provide photographs, audio, video, or recovery-related information.

A child under 13 should not initiate an email or website request.

Who May Request Consideration

Individual consideration for a child under 13 may be requested by:

• A parent;

• A legal guardian;

• A legal custodian; or

• A qualified addiction-treatment, recovery, behavioral-health, social-services, or youth-services agency acting with appropriate authority.

The request must be sent to:

office@rgvroadtorecovery.org

An agency request does not automatically replace permission from a parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian. The agency must identify its authority to act, and RGV may still require authorization from the responsible adult.

No Automatic Approval

Submitting a request does not guarantee that a child will be accepted.

RGV will evaluate:

• The child’s age;

• The requested program;

• The child’s needs;

• Whether the material is age appropriate;

• The level of adult supervision available;

• Whether a qualified professional or agency is involved;

• The personal information that would be collected;

• Whether third-party technology would process the child’s information;

• Safety and confidentiality considerations; and

• Whether RGV can provide the requested participation responsibly.

RGV may approve the request, approve it with conditions, recommend a different resource, place the request on hold, or decline participation.

No Collection Before Approval

RGV will not intentionally create an account for or collect program information directly from a child under 13 until:

1. The responsible adult or authorized agency initiates the request;

2. The adult receives notice explaining the proposed information collection and use;

3. RGV verifies the adult’s identity and authority using a reasonable method;

4. Required consent is received;

5. Appropriate supervision and privacy safeguards are established; and

6. RGV gives written approval.

Only the minimum information necessary to review the initial adult request should be collected before approval.

6. Information That May Be Collected

Depending on the approved program, RGV may collect:

• The youth’s name;

• Date of birth or age;

• Username;

• Email address, when appropriate;

• Telephone number, when appropriate;

• Parent, guardian, or custodian information;

• Emergency-contact information;

• Course enrollment and progress;

• Quiz and assignment responses;

• Meeting attendance;

• Communications relating to participation;

• Safety or conduct concerns;

• Consent and authorization records; and

• Recovery-related information voluntarily provided for the program.

Information concerning addiction, recovery, relapse, mental health, family relationships, housing, or treatment may be sensitive.

Youth and responsible adults should provide only the information reasonably necessary for participation.

RGV will not require a youth to disclose more personal information than reasonably necessary to participate in an approved activity.

7. How Youth Information May Be Used

Youth information may be used to:

• Review eligibility;

• Create and administer an approved account;

• Enroll the participant in an authorized course or meeting;

• Provide course materials and track progress;

• Communicate with the participant and responsible adult;

• Maintain safety and appropriate conduct;

• Respond to support requests;

• Document consent;

• Protect website and account security;

• Comply with legal obligations; and

• Administer the approved program.

RGV will not sell youth information.

RGV will not use youth recovery information for unrelated advertising or permit behavioral advertising directed at a known minor through an RGV youth program.

8. Service Providers and Third-Party Technology

RGV’s website and programs may use service providers supporting:

• Website hosting;

• Account management;

• Online courses;

• Email delivery;

• Video meetings;

• Spam and bot prevention;

• Security;

• Analytics; and

• Embedded content.

When participation by a child under 13 is approved, RGV will seek to limit third-party collection to what is reasonably necessary for the approved program.

A responsible adult will be informed when use of a material third-party platform is necessary for participation.

RGV may restrict particular features, embedded media, analytics, push notifications, public profiles, or external links for approved child participants.

9. Parent, Guardian, and Custodian Rights

A verified parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian may request to:

• Learn what information RGV maintains about the youth;

• Review information provided by or about the youth;

• Correct inaccurate information;

• Withdraw permission for continued participation;

• Prevent further collection of the youth’s information;

• Request deletion of the youth’s information;

• Close the youth’s account; or

• Ask questions about the program or information practices.

Requests should be sent to office@rgvroadtorecovery.org.

RGV may verify the requester’s identity and legal authority before granting access or making changes.

Some records may be retained when reasonably necessary for:

• Legal compliance;

• Safety;

• Abuse or misconduct investigations;

• Security;

• Consent documentation;

• Financial or administrative recordkeeping; or

• Establishing, exercising, or defending legal rights.

When complete deletion is not appropriate or legally possible, RGV may restrict further use of the information.

10. Withdrawal of Permission

A responsible adult may withdraw permission by emailing office@rgvroadtorecovery.org.

Withdrawal will ordinarily end the youth’s future participation and collection of new program information. It may not require deletion of records that RGV must reasonably preserve for legal, safety, security, or consent-documentation purposes.

RGV may contact the responsible adult to verify the request and explain the effect on the youth’s account or course access.

11. Communications With Youth

RGV seeks to keep communications with minors appropriate, transparent, and related to the approved program.

When reasonably practical:

• A responsible adult should be included in or have access to administrative communications;

• Youth communications should occur through approved RGV systems or accounts;

• Private personal social-media contact between adult volunteers and youth should be avoided;

• Adult leaders should not request unnecessary personal information;

• Communications should remain related to recovery education, participation, safety, or ministry support; and

• Meetings with minors should include appropriate adult awareness or oversight.

Participants and volunteers must not use RGV programs to establish secret, exploitative, romantic, sexual, coercive, or otherwise inappropriate relationships.

Concerning communications may be reported to office@rgvroadtorecovery.org.

12. Meetings, Audio, Video, and Photographs

A youth must not be photographed, recorded, livestreamed, or publicly identified by RGV without appropriate authorization.

General program consent does not automatically authorize public use of:

• A youth’s photograph;

• Video or audio containing the youth;

• A testimony;

• A recovery story;

• A course assignment; or

• Personally identifying information.

RGV should obtain separate, specific permission before using identifiable youth content for publicity, fundraising, social media, presentations, publications, or other public purposes.

Participants may not independently record or distribute meetings involving minors.

If an online or in-person session will be recorded or transcribed, the responsible adult and youth should be notified before recording begins.

13. Public Profiles and Sharing

Youth accounts should not publicly display unnecessary personal information.

Youth participants must not publish:

• Home addresses;

• School schedules;

• Precise locations;

• Passwords;

• Private contact information;

• Medical records;

• Another participant’s recovery story; or

• Photographs or recordings of another participant without authorization.

RGV may remove content that creates a privacy, safety, legal, or program-integrity concern.

14. Confidentiality Limitations

RGV seeks to treat youth information respectfully, but absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.

Information shared during a group meeting may be heard or repeated by another participant despite group rules. Online systems and email also carry privacy and security risks.

Information may be shared or disclosed when reasonably believed necessary to:

• Respond to immediate danger;

• Protect a youth or another person;

• Report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or other circumstances when required or permitted by law;

• Comply with a subpoena, court order, or legal requirement;

• Investigate threats, misconduct, fraud, or security incidents; or

• Enforce program rules.

RGV programs do not create a physician-patient, therapist-client, attorney-client, or other licensed professional relationship.

15. Responsibilities of the Authorizing Adult

By authorizing participation, the parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian agrees to:

• Provide accurate information;

• Confirm authority to act for the youth;

• Review the faith-based nature of the program;

• Review program materials when appropriate;

• Supervise the youth’s participation as reasonably required;

• Keep emergency-contact information current;

• Notify RGV of safety or participation concerns;

• Obtain professional treatment or emergency assistance when needed;

• Help the youth protect account credentials and other participants’ privacy; and

• Inform RGV when permission is withdrawn or legal authority changes.

16. Youth Conduct Expectations

Youth participants must:

• Communicate respectfully;

• Protect other participants’ privacy;

• Avoid threats, harassment, bullying, discrimination, or sexual conduct;

• Refrain from promoting drugs or illegal activity;

• Not share account credentials;

• Not record meetings without authorization;

• Not impersonate another person;

• Follow facilitator instructions; and

• Use the program only for its intended purpose.

RGV may restrict or end participation when necessary to protect safety, privacy, respectful conduct, or program integrity.

17. Safety and Mandatory Disclosures

RGV is not a confidential treatment provider or emergency-response service.

When a youth communicates information suggesting immediate danger, abuse, neglect, exploitation, overdose, self-harm, or a threat to another person, RGV may contact:

• The responsible adult;

• Emergency services;

• Child-protection authorities;

• Law enforcement;

• A referring agency; or

• Another appropriate person or organization.

Disclosure will be limited to what RGV reasonably believes is necessary or legally required.

18. Records and Retention

Youth information will be retained only as long as reasonably necessary for the approved program and legitimate legal, safety, security, administrative, or recordkeeping purposes.

RGV may retain consent and authorization records after participation ends to document:

• Who authorized participation;

• What participation was authorized;

• What notices were provided;

• When permission was given or withdrawn; and

• Any relevant safety or legal actions.

When information is no longer reasonably necessary, RGV will seek to delete it using measures appropriate to the nature of the information and the systems involved.

19. Changes to This Policy

RGV may update this policy as programs, technology, privacy practices, or legal obligations change.

Material changes affecting the collection, use, or sharing of information from an approved child participant may require new notice or authorization.

The current policy will be posted with its effective and last-updated dates.

20. Contact

Questions, consent withdrawals, information requests, and under-13 participation requests should be sent to:

RGV Road to Recovery IA
Email: office@rgvroadtorecovery.org
Website: https://rgvroadtorecovery.org

Do not use email for an emergency. Call 911 for immediate danger or a medical emergency. Call or text 988 for suicide or mental-health crisis support in the United States.