Safety is Our Number One Priority
Culture of Safety: Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester continually updates robust safety policies, programs, training and supervisory practices 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 multiple layers of protection to keep our kids safe including:
- Mandatory criminal background checks.
- Local Boys & Girls Clubs are required to immediately report any incident regardless of severity to the appropriate authorities and then to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
- Each Club has a Board led Safety Committee elevating safety to the highest level of governance.
- Clubs are required to complete a mandatory annual safety assessments.
Safety Policies: Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester has comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication and prohibiting private one-on-one contact.
24-hour Toll-free Child Safety Hotline: Through our national partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation’s leading safety experts, Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester families, members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email, SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com.
Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory criminal background checks for all staff are required upon hire, and at least annually thereafter at Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester. 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: Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters, and 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 Club.
Safety Trainings: Ongoing training and supervision of staff and volunteers is critical. Both staff and volunteers participate in a wide variety of child safety training on a continuous basis, 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.
State and Local Laws: We comply with federal, state and local safety laws, including those impacting facilities and vehicles.