–> Culture of Safety: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington (BGCB) 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. All staff, volunteers and board members interacting with youth are required to complete Spillett University child and sexual abuse prevention training.

–> 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, BGCB members and staff have access to a confidential and 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or a email SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com.

–> Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory criminal background checks are required each year for every 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 National Sex Offender registry.

–> Required Immediate Reporting: Staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters. We are required to report any critical incident/safety concern to local authorities immediately. Additionally, we are required to report any critical incident to the
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 our safety protocols at each of our Club sites.

–> Safety Trainings: On-going training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted such as seminars, conferences, webinars, and a semi-annual safety symposium. 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:  Through the BGCB Board of Directors, a dedicated Safety Committee is organized specifically to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Our board-led Safety Committee meets once each month and also completes quarterly inspections at all Club sites.

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

–> State and Local Laws: We comply with federal, state and local safety laws, including those impacting our facilities and Club-owned 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, such as: National Child Safety Advisory Task Force – a coalition made up of leading experts and organizations; Blue Ribbon Taskforce – comprised of local Club leaders charged with providing input on safety direction and initiatives; Mental Health First Aid – a national program that teaches skills to recognize and respond to signs of mental illness and substance abuse; and Crisis Text Line – a confidential text message service for youth in times of crisis.

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.