AT THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE BIG COUNTRY, INC., CHILD SAFETY IS JOB NO. 1

Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of the Boys & Girls Club of the Big Country, Inc.!

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 Club of the Big Country, Inc. continually updates 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 including:

• No staff is ever alone with a child
• Computer labs are monitored by adult staff at all times
• Training to recognize and report abuse
• Programming for the members on how to protect themselves from exploitation
• Constant safety assessments ensure facilities and activities are safe for our members.

Safety Policies:

 Boys & Girls Club of the Big Country, Inc. 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:

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 the Big Country, Inc. 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

Mandatory criminal background checks are required yearly for every  Boys & Girls Club of the Big Country, Inc. staff and board member. 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 company Background Investigation Bureau.

Required Immediate Reporting:

Boys & Girls Club of the Big Country, Inc. 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, such as on-site training, webinars, and required online training through Spillett University. We also engage leading third-party safety experts to guide our policies and approaches, including Praesidium, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the National Children’s Advocacy Center.

Safety Committee:

Boys & Girls Club of the Big Country, Inc. has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:

• Child safety at the Club
• Child safety on field trips
• Staff expectations, training, and understanding of all safety policies and reporting requirements.
• Maintaining safe facilities.
• Consistent safety drills including bad weather, fire, and imminent threat

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.

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, 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 Club of the Big Country, Inc. partners with:

• Abilene Police Department
• Taylor County Sheriff’s Office
• AISD

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 protecting every child who is entrusted to our care at Boys & Girls Club of the Big Country, Inc. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page, here.