Allegheny County’s parks department implemented a new chaperone policy at all four county pools last week, citing improved safety and “a more enjoyable experience for all” as its motive.
The policy requires visitors ages 17 and under to be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years of age with valid photo ID. This includes the pools at Boyce Park, Settlers Cabin, South Park and North Park.
The policy also states:
- Proof of age will be required for those 18 and older if age is not easily determined.
- One parent/guardian, over 21 years of age, may escort all their children. One additional chaperone over 21 years of age may escort no more than four additional youths during any one visit.
- Chaperones are responsible for the actions of the escorted youth.
- If an escorted youth is banned from the pool, the adult escort and group will be banned for the same period.
- Each adult chaperone must be present at the time of entry and remain within the facility for the duration of their party’s visit.
- Any person violating the posted rules of behavior will be asked to leave the pool.
County spokesperson Abigail Gardner said the policy is a work in progress, as it will likely change to accommodate families who rely on babysitters or older siblings for child care.
“We'll see how many kinds of requests for exemptions we get and how we can work with families to make sure this does work for as many people as possible, and we may need to make adjustments prior to next summer,” Gardner said. ““We don't want people buying a family pass and then not feeling like it's accessible for their family.”
Gardner said there were several disruptions caused by unaccompanied minors across the county pool locations last summer, so the policy is the best step to ensure a safe and welcoming environment.
“It's not a lifeguard's duty to be a babysitter; they need to be paying attention to the swimmers in the pool and ensuring that everybody is safe — not dealing with kids who refuse to listen and don't have a guardian or parent present to discipline them,” Gardner said.
Community feedback has been positive overall, Gardner said, and pool staff haven’t experienced any significant difficulties in enforcing the policy.
The county’s new rule follows a similar policy imposed at the Highland Park pool in June, where kids under 16 must now be chaperoned because of the staff’s growing concerns about the safety and behavior of unsupervised minors.
