Ensuring child safety is Job #1 and is fundamental to our mission.
The Safety and Well-being of Young People is Our Number One Priority
The Safety and Well-being of Young
People is Our Number One Priority
We work every day to create a safe, inclusive, and fun environment so kids can have every opportunity to be successful in life. We have no 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 the Greater Triad continually updates safety policies, programs, and training for staff and volunteers to promote child safety and protect young people from threats in our society. These resources include but are not limited to: Employee Annual Safety Training & Safety Awareness for ALL Staff and Members of BGCGT
Safety Policies
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Triad maintains comprehensive safety policies that protect youth, including but not limited to policies on supervision, transportation, communication, and prohibition of one-on-one contact. 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, BGCA’s members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline at 866-607-SAFE (7233) or
SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com.
Mandatory Background Checks
Mandatory criminal background checks are required upon hire and annually for every board member and staff member at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Triad. In addition, criminal background checks are required for any volunteer who has direct, repetitive contact with children. All potential employees and volunteers are background-checked prior to coming into contact with our members.
Required Immediate Reporting
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Triad 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 the Boys & Girls Clubs of America within 24 hours.
Mandatory Annual Safety Assessments
We employ a multi-tiered safety assessment approach to ensure we continually make improvements to safety at our Club.
Safety Training
Ongoing training and supervision of staff are critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training through online courses, seminars, conferences, and webinars. 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
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Triad has a dedicated board-led Safety Committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:
- To provide a safe place for the children of the Greater Triad
- To provide a safe environment for their tutoring/enrichment and life skills
- Educating youth on safety procedures, policies, and safety awareness
Mandatory Employee Reference
Any employee interested in transferring to another Boys & Girls Club must have a reference from their 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
Safety Partnerships
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 composed of local Club leaders who provide input on 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 the Greater Triad partners with the local police and sheriff’s department.
Continued Commitment
In July 2020, Boys & Girls Club organizations voted to adopt additional safety measures to further improve safety within our Clubs. Though many of these practices were already commonplace across our Movement, this vote made them mandatory for all Clubs. These include more stringent reference and background checks, enhanced Safety Committee requirements, stronger communication of key safety resources and information, and more.
Nationally, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has advocated for passage of the U.S. PROTECT Act to improve 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 support 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 the Greater Triad. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page.