At Boys & Girls Clubs of the Brazos Valley,
Child Safety is our number ONE Priority!
Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of our Clubs!
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 Brazos Valley 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. We implement layers of safety policies and guidelines to keep our kids safe including:
- Trained Youth Development Professionals with years of service and well-known presence in the communities we serve
- Weekly staff meetings to address arising issues
- Daily incident reports as needed
Safety Policies:
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Brazos Valley 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:
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 Brazos Valley members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email [email protected].
Mandatory Background Checks:
Mandatory criminal background checks are required every year for every staff and board member at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Brazos Valley. 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 the Brazos Valley staff and volunteers are all mandated, reporters. We are required to report any critical incident/safety concerns 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(s).
Safety Training:
Ongoing training and supervision of staff are critical. We engage leading third-party safety experts to provide guidance for our policies and approaches, including Praesidium, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the Red Cross, Unbound, and the National Children’s Advocacy Center.
Safety Committee:
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Brazos Valley has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:
- Every staff member trained three times annually
- New Club Member orientation as each session begins
- Multiple trained professionals with each age group, every day
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. Our local partners include:
- Bryan Police Department
- Mental Health First Aid
- Bryan Independent School District
- The City of Bryan
- The City of College Station
- College Station Independent School District
- College Station Police
- Brazos County
- And many more…
Nationally, Boys & Girls Clubs of America have 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 Brazos Valley. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page, here.