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: We continually update robust safety policies, programs and training for our staff and volunteers that are designed to promote child safety and protect young people from threats that are present in our society. We implement layers of safety policies and guidelines to keep our kids safe.

Safety Policies: We have comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth – including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication, prohibiting private one-on-one contact and bathroom use. 

24-hour Toll-free Child Safety Hotline: We encourage all staff, members and families to report any incident or situation they feel is unsafe. Through our national partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation’s leading safety experts, Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com . 

Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory criminal background checks are required every year for every staff and board member at Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County. In addition, criminal background checks are required for any volunteer who has direct contact with children. All potential employees and volunteers are also run through First Advantage checking social security, criminal recoreds and the sexual offender database. They are also run their fingerprint through Livescan and the Department of Justice.

Required Immediate Reporting: All staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters. We are required to report any critical incident/safety concern to local authorities immediately. We are also required to report any critical incident to Boys & Girls Clubs of America within 24 hours.

Mandatory Annual Safety Assessments: We complete a safety assessment each year to ensure we continually make improvements to safety at our Clubs.

Safety Trainings: Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted such as localized all-staff trainings, monthly safety and abuse prevention trainings, and National/Regional Trainings. 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.

Safety Committee: We have a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:

• Annually updating the Emergency Operations Plan

• Conducting safety assessments and providing recommendations 

Mandatory Employee Reference: Any employee interested in moving to another Boys & Girls Club is required to have a reference from the previous Club, even if the Clubs are within the same community.   

State and Local Laws: We comply with federal, state and local safety laws, including those impacting facilities and vehicles.