Child Safety is our #1 Priority The Safety and Wellbeing of Club Members is Our Number One Priority At Boys & Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region, we work every day to create a safe, positive and 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.  We continually update and review our guidelines, policies and protocols to ensure the ongoing safety of our Club members, staff, and volunteers.

Culture of Safety: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region continually evaluates and 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 have a dedicated safety committee that provides input and guidance for the successful implementation of layers of safety policies and guidelines to keep our kids safe.

Safety Policies: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region has comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth – including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication, restrooms, and prohibiting private one-on-one contact and social media communications.  Boys & Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline, 855-444-3911.

Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory criminal background checks are required every year for every staff and board member at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region. 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 State and National Sex Offender Registry. In addition, all potential employees undergo reference checks.

Required Immediate Reporting: All 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 conducted monthly through internal trainers, Boys & Girls Clubs of America webinars, local community experts and regional workshops. 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 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 Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region partners with: Can Council, Saginaw Community Mental Health, Local Sheriff’s Departments, Fire Departments, and School Districts.

As safety for our Club Members is our top priority, we enforce our Safe Passage Policy: Members must sign in and out each day. Members under the age of 11 must be retrieved from the Club by a parent, guardian or other authorized adult unless otherwise specified. Please make arrangements with your child and the Club as to who may pick them up. Members age 11 and older may leave the club un-escorted under the guidelines of the open door policy. Members age 11 and older may escort other members of their household from the Club. Members that leave un-escorted without written permission will face disciplinary actions up to and including suspension and termination of membership.

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 protect every child who is entrusted to our care at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page.