Administrative Procedures
Listed below are the administrative procedures for the YCC program.
Term Length
Each YCC member should be offered between 320 hours (40 full days) and 720 hours (90 full days) of work during the YCC program calendar year. They can also work less than 40 hours a week, as long as all requirements are met. If a program is less than 320 hours, prior written approval from the WASO YCC Program Manager is required. No program can be more than 90 workdays (720 hours) in a calendar year, per the law, though these days can be non-consecutive.
Hours
Work hours may be scheduled in any manner, as long as they conform to local and federal youth employment regulations. If the host site is using an alternative work schedule, YCC members may work according to the established schedule as long as they do not violate child labor laws. For example, YCC members who are 15 years of age are prohibited from working more than 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week. YCC members who are 16 years of age or older may work up to 10 hours per day and up to 50 hours per week. If youth who are 16 through 18 years old work more than 40 hours per week, they must be paid at the overtime rate.
YCC Member Processing
Host sites must submit time and attendance in accordance with current payroll instructions. Refer to the Interior Business Center guides on how to enter YCC into FPPS and QuickTime that are located on the YCC SharePoint site (internal). YCC staff must ensure appropriate documents are provided to the designated requesting office so that the individual can input and establish a personnel/payroll master file. Each YCC member needs to be entered into FPPS by the designated appropriate site employee. Note that an administrative employee who has access to FPPS for regular NPS employees will need to request special access to the YCC section of FPPS by contacting the human resources office or the Interior Business Center. In cases in which direct deposit is not practical, checks will be distributed to the YCC member. All selected youth must have a Social Security number prior to being employed. See below for more details on time and attendance, leave, pay, background checks, and records.
Time and Attendance
The YCC Site Program Manager or YCC Crew Leader, as appropriate, should record and enter time and attendance of YCC members:
- YCC staff should work with their site admin staff to enter YCC members into the payroll system as “enrollees.”
- The system will automatically place all youth in a TAX-EXEMPT status. If the YCC member wants taxes deducted, then the individual must complete a W-4. Remember, claiming “single” with zero exemptions will deduct taxes from pay.
- If a YCC member is injured on the job, consult the human resources office for guidance on workers’ compensation paid by the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Leave and Earnings Statements are produced for youth who are paid through FPPS and are available through Employee Express (EEX). YCC members can create a login.gov account to access their pay information. Wages paid on a supplemental check will appear in the adjustment area of the statement when these hours are calculated through the system.
- Leave and Earnings Statements should automatically be mailed to the YCC member’s official correspondence address unless manually turned off.
- Designate an alternate contact person for time and attendance processing should the YCC Crew Leader or YCC supervisor be absent during the pay period cycle. For questions, reach out to the Payroll Division.
Leave
YCC members are paid at an hourly rate. They are not eligible for any type of leave, including Leave Without Pay, since they are not federal employees. However, a YCC Site Program Manager can allow them to take unexpected leave on a case-by-case basis, but only actual hours worked should be entered into QuickTime. Youth will be paid for federal holidays if they are in pay status either the day before or the day after the holiday. Those who are required to work on a federal holiday will receive compensatory time or be paid overtime.
Pay
YCC members are paid at least the federal or state minimum wage, whichever is higher, though it is strongly encouraged to pay them higher to be competitive with internships and other paid opportunities. When requesting to offer a pay rate that is higher than the minimum amount, the site should consider local competitive wages for similar entry-level type positions and cost of living. This request needs to be made to the Regional Youth Programs Coordinator to ensure there is budget availability and the wage rate is appropriate. YCC Youth Peer Leaders are paid 15% higher than the regular YCC members.DOI Payroll Operations also conducts an annual webinar typically in May on YCC payroll processing procedures. For scheduled webinars and further support, contact the Payroll Division.
Background Checks
In accordance with the 2015 memo, below are the requirements for YCC members and YCC staff (see the decision tree on page 3 to determine the type of background check needed). Refer to the memo for additional details on the guidance. Contact the Personnel Security Office with questions.
For YCC Members
There is a difference between a background check and background investigation.
Background check – All YCC members who are working 60 days or more and are 16 and up need to complete a background check. If they are working less than 60 days (includes non-workdays), it is up to the discretion of site leadership to determine if background checks need to be done. It may take up to 72 hours to process a background check after the individual enrolls and electronic fingerprints are submitted. The YCC supervisor needs to follow up with the incoming YCC member on completing the required enrollment and NBIS (National Background Investigation Services) e-application (as required). The YCC supervisor completes the NPS 10-152 form and submits it to PERSEC or enters it directly into DOI Access, and the YCC applicant completes OF-306. A background check is used to provisionally approve someone to work, which allows them to start working. If they are a repeat YCC member, the personnel security team looks at the OF-306 to review any previous background investigation (if one was accomplished). The Tier 1 background investigation is the full investigation.
Tier 1 Background Investigation – Required for individuals who need a PIV card and who have unsupervised access to the following:
- Unsupervised federally controlled space/buildings
- Fees or other Government monies
- DOI networks, applications, or data systems
- Unsupervised access to children
These checks are required for anyone who will be representing the NPS and are for the safety of all individuals in the YCC program, NPS staff, and NPS visitors. YCC members may not use federal computers if they do not have a PIV card.
For NPS YCC Staff
All federal employees who are YCC staff must go through a minimum Tier 1 background investigation with a childcare background check. The childcare check needs to be completed and provisionally adjudicated prior to them engaging with YCC members. Both checks need to pass in order for the staff to engage with the YCC members. These checks can take up to 120 days or more to complete.
Records
All records are confidential and should be made available to authorized personnel only. YCC Site Program Managers and other employees handling records should be aware of their responsibilities for providing physical and technical safeguards to ensure confidentiality and security, as specified under the Privacy Act of 1974. YCC member records should be maintained in accordance with 36 CFR Chapter 12 Subchapter B and 43 CFR 2.22371. The primary purpose in retaining these records is to ensure coverage of the YCC member in case of tort claims or personal injuries. They must be kept for at least three years.
View Chapter 6 or go back to the YCC RM landing page.
Last updated: August 20, 2025