The safety and well-being of young people is our number one priority
At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County, there is nothing more important than the security of our members. We work every day to create a safe, fun environment so kids can have every opportunity to be successful in life.
From strict adherence to policies and guidelines within Club facilities and staffing structure to equipping young people with the critical thinking and social-emotional skills to make healthy, safe choices, ensuring Club members are safe is the first step to their success. For the hundreds of young people who enter the doors of our Clubs each day, we offer safe, inclusive spaces and experiences that empower members’ learning and growth. Our data shows our approach works:
- Club teens are more likely to abstain from health-risk behaviors like alcohol and smoking than their peers nationally.*
- Clubs help build a sense of civic responsibility and leadership. In fact, 83% of Club members believe they can make a difference in their communities and 89% stand up for what they think is right.*
- And, most importantly, Clubs provide safety, mentorship, and a sense of community during the critical out-of-school hours. 54% of Club alumni said the Club “saved my life.”** We have intentionally created a trauma-informed culture at the Club, focusing our programming initiatives on preventing, protecting against, and helping children heal from the effects of trauma through social-emotional learning (SEL), mindfulness, and trauma-informed care.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County continually updates and innovates robust safety policies, programs, and training for staff and volunteers that are designed to protect young people from threats that are present in our society. We implement layers of policies and guidelines to keep our kids safe, including:
Safety Policies: Our Clubs have safety policies in place that protect youth, including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication, and prohibition of private one-on-one contact.
Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory background checks are required every year for every staff member 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 run through the National Sex Offender Registry.
Required Immediate Reporting: Our staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters. Staff are required to report any critical incident/safety concern to local authorities immediately. They are also required to report any critical incident to Boys & Girls Clubs of America within 24 hours.
Toll-Free Child Safety Hotline: Through a partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation’s leading safety experts, Boys & Girls Clubs of America provides a confidential, toll-free Child Safety Hotline to all current or previous Club staff, members, or families to report any incident or situation in which they feel unsafe. To access the Child Safety Hotline, call 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.
Mandatory Annual Safety Assessments: Each local Boys & Girls Club is required to complete a safety assessment each year. If any concerns arise, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s staff will take action to make recommendations, require changes or to provide additional support.
Safety Trainings: Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety trainings conducted through seminars, conferences, and webinars, including BGCA’s sex abuse prevention training, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office abuse prevention training, CPR/First Aid, fire and evacuation preparedness, trip safety, and water safety.
State and Local Laws: We comply with federal, state, and local safety laws, including those impacting facilities and vehicles.
Monmouth County’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.
*2018 National Youth Outcomes Report
**2015 Harris Interactive survey of Club alumni
