SAFETY
PROGRAM INFORMATION | JOIN THE CLUB | SAFETY | COVID-19 RESPONSE
The Safety and Wellbeing of Club Kids is Our Top 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 our policies.
CULTURE OF SAFETY
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sheboygan County regularly updates 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 to keep our kids safe including:
- No one-on-one contact
- Restroom usage
- Drug and alcohol free workplace
- Incident reporting
- Supervision
- Transportation
- Weather closing
SAFETY POLICIES
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sheboygan County has comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth – including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication and prohibiting private one-on-one contact.
COVID-19 Response: Visit our COVID-19 Response page for updated safety information
Weather Closings: We follow the same policies as our local school districts for weather closings. Club closures are posted to our website, Facebook page, and to local news stations.
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 Sheboygan County 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 are required every year for every staff and board member at Boys & Girls Clubs of Sheboygan County. In addition, criminal background checks are required for every volunteer.
Required Immediate Reporting: Boys & Girls Clubs of Sheboygan County staff 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 each of our locations.
Safety Trainings: Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety trainings on an annual basis. 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 Sheboygan County has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:
- Revising & reviewing policies, procedures and safety incidents to continue to keep our kids safe
- Conducting safety audits at each site to ensure all safety protocols are met
Mandatory Employee Reference: Any employee 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.
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
Locally, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sheboygan County partners with the following organizations:
- Sheboygan Police Department and all neighboring police departments
- County sheriff’s departments
- County social services
- Department of Human Services
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.
To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page.