Child Safety at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Grand Strand
The safety of young people at Boys & Girls Clubs is always our top priority. Youth who are mentally and physically safe are better able to learn, grow, and thrive. Boys & Girls Clubs of America works continuously to enhance safety policies, practices, and trainings to ensure they are centered on youth’s needs. There is nothing more important to us than keeping children safe and protected.
Boys & Girls Clubs do not tolerate inappropriate behavior of any kind, including child sexual abuse or misconduct. 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.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America advocated for the passage of the U.S. PROTECT ACT, which improved background screening systems and access, and is proud to partner with the following organizations to develop safety practices that benefit ALL youth-serving organizations.
“As the world’s first Child Advocacy Center, the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) places our utmost priority on the safety of youth. As a proud member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Child & Club Safety Task Force for the past 10 years, I’ve witnessed and applaud the organization’s continual commitment to protecting youth. From their ongoing investment in best-in-class safety resources, trainings, practices and procedures to requiring that all local Clubs adhere to robust safety measures, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s dedication to the safety and well-being of young people ensures that Clubs provide a safe haven for kids – a place where they are heard, supported and feel both physically and emotionally secure.“
– Chris Newlin, MS LPC, Executive Director, National Children’s Advocacy Center
Club teens are more likely to abstain from health-risk behaviors like alcohol and smoking than their peers nationally.*
Clubs provide safety, mentorship and a sense of community during the critical out-of-school hours. 91% of Club members say adults encourage them to make positive choices.*
Clubs help build a sense of civic responsibility and leadership. In fact, 82% of Club members believe they can make a difference in their community and 88% stand up for what they think is right.*
“Since 1979, Committee for Children has championed the safety and well-being of children through research-based social-emotional learning, child protection and bullying prevention. As Vice President of Education, Research and Impact at Committee for Children, I’ve been honored to serve on Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Child & Club Safety Task Force with dedicated partners who share our vision of safe children thriving in a just and peaceful world.“
– Tia Kim, PhD Vice President of Education, Research & Impact, Committee for Children
*2022 Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Youth Outcomes Initiative Member Survey
Ensuring the safety of children is fundamental to the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Grand Strand.
The safety and well-being of young people is our No. 1 priority. We work every day to create a safe, 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.
Culture of Safety
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Grand Strand 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.
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, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Grand Strand 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
All Boys & Girls Clubs of the Grand Strand employees and board volunteers must undergo a comprehensive criminal background check upon hire and annually. All volunteers (including minors) who have direct, repetitive contact with children must also receive an annual background check. This requirement also applies to staff and volunteers from other organizations who may work in local Clubs as part of a partnership or collaboration.
Required Immediate Reporting
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Grand Strand staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters. We are required to report any critical incident/safety concern, regardless of severity, 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 such as seminars, conferences, webinars. 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
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Grand Strand has a dedicated board-led safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies.
Mandatory Employee Reference
Any current or former employee or volunteer interested in moving to another Boys & Girls Club is required to have a reference from the previous Club, even if the Clubs are within the same community, prior to employment or volunteering.
State and Local Laws
We comply with federal, state and local safety laws, including those impacting facilities and 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. 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
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.
“The National Children’s Advocacy Center was the first Child Advocacy Center in the world, and there is nothing more important to us than the safety of youth. In this capacity, I have proudly served on Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Child & Club Safety Task Force since 2012 and seen firsthand the organization’s investment in safety and commitment to strong youth protection policies, immediate reporting and long-term strategy, as well as their dedication each day to creating a safe and supportive home-away-from-home for kids.“
– Chris Newlin, MS LPC, Executive Director, National Children’s Advocacy Center
