At Boys & Girls Clubs, Child Safety Is Job No. 1
Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs
The Safety and Wellbeing of Young People is Our Number One Priority
We work every day to create a safe, fun environment so kids can have every opportunity to be successful in life. We have ZERO tolerance for inappropriate behavior of any kind, including child sexual abuse or misconduct, and we put resources behind that stance.
Culture of Safety: Boys & Girls Clubs of America continually update and innovate robust safety policies, programs and training for local Club staff and volunteers that are designed to protect young people from threats that are present in our society. Through our national Child & Club Safety Department, we implement layers of safety policies and guidelines to keep our kids safe including:
Safety Policies: All local Boys & Girls Clubs are required to have safety policies in place that protect -youth, including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication and prohibiting private one-on-one contact. 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline: We encourage all Club staff, members or families to report any incident or situation in which they feel unsafe. Through our partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation’s leading safety experts, Boys & Girls Clubs of America provide a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com.
Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory background checks are required every year for every staff member and board member at local Boys & Girls Clubs. In addition, criminal background checks are required for any volunteer who has direct contact with children. All potential employees and volunteers are run through the National Sex Offender Registry. Boys & Girls Clubs of America has partnered with one of the largest background screening companies, First Advantage, to provide access to the most comprehensive screenings available today. Required Immediate Reporting: Local Club staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters. Local Club staff are required to report any critical incident/safety concern to local authorities immediately. They are also required to report any critical incident to Boys & Girls Clubs of America within 24 hours.
Mandatory Annual Safety Assessments: Each local Boys & Girls Club is required to complete a safety assessment each year. If any concerns arise, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s staff will take action to make recommendations, require changes or to provide additional support. Safety Trainings: Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. Clubs participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted through seminars, conferences, webinars, and a semi-annual safety symposium. We also engage leading third-party safety experts to provide guidance for our policies and approaches, including Praesidium, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the National Children’s Advocacy Center.
National Board of Governors Safety Committee: Boys & Girls Clubs of America has a dedicated Child Safety Committee on our Board of Governors to guide our national safety efforts and policies. Additionally, each local Boys & Girls Club Organization is required to have a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies.
Mandatory Employee Reference: Any employee interested in moving to another Boys & Girls Club is required to have a reference from the previous Club, event if the Clubs are within the same community.
State and Local Laws: All local Boys & Girls Clubs are required to comply with federal, state and local safety laws, including those impacting facilities and vehicles.
Safety Partnerships: Boys & Girls Clubs of America works with leading experts in the areas of safety, security, and technology to develop state-of-the-art solutions for our 4,300 sites.
o National Child Safety Advisory Task Force, made up of leading experts and organizations
o Blue Ribbon Taskforce, comprised of local Club leaders charged with providing input on the safety direction and key safety initiatives
o Mental Health First Aid, a national program that teaches skills to recognize and respond to signs of mental illness and substance abuse
o Crisis Text Line, a confidential text message service for youth in times of crisis
Learn more about our safety policies and actions.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America has also advocated the passage of the U.S. PROTECT Act, which improved background screening systems and access. We have also partnered with the FBI, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Centers for Disease Control to contribute to the development of safety practices that benefit ALL youth-serving organizations.
America’s young people deserve nothing less than our constant focus on their safety and our firm commitment to protect every chil