Our Commitment to Safety
At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland County
Child Safety is our TOP PRIORITY. In fact, it is fundamental to the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland County and to building GREAT FUTURES for kids. 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.
BGCCC 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:
- Criminal Background Checks for all staff, board members, and volunteers. Any potential employees moving from another club are required to have a reference from the previous Club, even if the Clubs are within the same community.
- Immediate Reporting: Staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters of any incidents regardless of severity to authorities first and then BGCA within 24 hours.
- Annual Safety Assessments and Board-led Safety Committees that ensure safety is addressed at the highest level of management.
- State and Local Laws: All Clubs are required to comply with federal, state, and local safety laws, including those impacting facilities and vehicles.
- Safety Policies: BGCCC has safety policies in place that protect youth, including supervision, transportation, communication, and prohibition of private one-on-one contact, and all staff members must train on those policies annually.
24-Hour Toll-free Child Safety Hotline: We encourage staff, members, and families to report any incident or situation they feel is unsafe. Through our partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation's leading safety experts, BGCCC members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline, 886-607-SAFE (7233) or email [email protected].
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 the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland County. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Child Safety page, here.