The Safety and Wellbeing of Young People is Our Number One Priority.
Our Safety Policies
Our Culture of Safety
BGCS continually updates robust safety policies, programs, training and supervisory practices 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 multiple layers of protection to keep our kids safe including:
- Selective hiring practices
- Comprehensive safety training for all staff and volunteers
- Parent and Member Orientation, including explanation of BGCS Behavioral Support Policy and Parent Handbook.
Safety Policies: BGCS has comprehensive 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: Through our national partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation’s leading safety experts, BGCS families, 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 for all staff are required upon hire, and at least annually thereafter at BGCS. 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 the National Sex Offender Registry.
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.
Required Immediate Reporting: BGCS staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters, and 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 Club(s).
Safety Trainings: Ongoing training and supervision of staff and volunteers is critical. Both staff and volunteers participate in a wide variety of child safety training on a continuous basis. 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.
Our Safety Committee
BGCS has a dedicated safety committee to provide oversight, input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:
- Implementing a safety calendar for all procedures that take place during the year related to safety (i.e. emergency drill tracking, policy reviews, review of facility for maintenance and safety concerns)
- Developing a culture of safety, which focuses on the areas of physical, emotional, and cyber safety
- Increasing the Clubs' emergency preparedness
Our Safety Partners
Nationally, 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 Clubs. Partners include:
National Child Safety Advisory Task Force, made up of leading experts and organizations
Blue Ribbon Taskforce, comprised of local Club leaders charged with providing input on the safety direction and key safety initiatives
Mental Health First Aid, a national program that teaches skills to recognize and respond to signs of mental illness and substance abuse
Crisis Text Line, a confidential text message service for youth in times of crisis
Locally, Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield partners with:
Our Continued Commitment
In July, 2020, all local Boys & Girls Clubs voted to adopt additional safety measures to further improve safety within our Clubs. Many of these practices were already in place, however, Boys & Girls Clubs determined these practices should be mandatory for all Clubs. These measures include more stringent reference and background checks, enhanced Club Safety Committee requirements for all Clubs, greater communication of key safety resources and information available for staff and members, and more.
Nationally, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has advocated the passage of the U.S. PROTECT Act, which improved background screening systems and access. The national organization has 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 child who is entrusted to our care at Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page, here.
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Sponsors
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