club safety
OUR COMMITTMENT TO SAFETY
At the Boys & Girls Club,
Youth Safety is our #1 Priority
At the Boys & Girls Club of the Columbia Basin, our team works every day to create a safe, inclusive, and fun environment so club members 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.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin has comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth – including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication and prohibiting private one-on-one contact.
Culture of Safety
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin 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:
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Annual background checks
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Appropriate staff to child ratios
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Robust Staff Onboarding & Ongoing Trainings
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and more!
Culture of Safety
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin 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:
-
Annual background & driving checks
-
Appropriate staff to child ratios
-
Robust Staff Onboarding & Ongoing Trainings
-
and more!
Mandatory Background Checks
Mandatory criminal background checks are required every year for every staff member. Criminal background checks are also required for any volunteer who has direct contact with children. All potential employees, volunteers & Board members are also run through several databases including the National Sex Offender Registry.
Required Immediate Reporting: Staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters. We are required by law 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.
Safety Trainings
Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted such as conferences, webinars and a semi-annual safety symposiums. 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.
Child Club Safety Committee: We have a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies, review recent club incidents and safety strategies.
State and Local Laws: We comply with federal, state and local safety laws, including those impacting facilities and vehicles.
Culture of Safety
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin 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:
-
Annual background & driving checks
-
Appropriate staff to child ratios
-
Robust Staff Onboarding & Ongoing Trainings
-
and more!
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:
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National Child Safety Advisory Task Force, made up of leading experts and organizations
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Blue Ribbon Taskforce, comprised of local Club leaders charged with providing input on the safety direction and key safety initiatives
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Mental Health First Aid, a national program that teaches skills to recognize and respond to signs of mental illness and substance abuse
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Crisis Text Line, a confidential text message service for youth in times of crisis
Locally, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin partners with:
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Our local police departments & sheriffs departments
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Moses Lake, Cle Elum & Kittitas School Districts
