At Boys & Girls
Clubs of Tucson (BGCT) Child Safety is Job No.1

Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the missionof Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson

The Safety and Wellbeing of Young People is Our Number One Priority

We work every day to create a safe, inclusive, and fun environment so kids have every opportunity to be successful in life. We have no tolerance for inappropriate behavior of any kind, including child sexual abuse or misconduct, and we put resources behind that stance.

Culture of Safety: BGCT continually updates robust safety policies, programs, and training for staff and volunteers to promote child safety and protect young people from threats in our society.

Safety Policies: BGCT maintains comprehensive safety policies that protect youth, including, but not limited to, policies on supervision, transportation, communication, and the prohibition of 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, BGCT members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline at 866-607-SAFE (7233) or [email protected].

Mandatory Background Checks: Every staff member and board member at BGCT must undergo criminal background checks upon hire and annually. Criminal background checks are also required for any volunteer who has direct, repetitive contact with children. All potential employees and volunteers are run through the [National Sex Offender Registry or Name of Provider].

Required Immediate Reporting: BGCT staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters and are required to report any critical incident or safety concern to local authorities immediately. We must also report any critical incident to Boys & Girls Clubs of America within 24 hours.

Mandatory Annual Safety Assessments: We employ a multi-tiered safety assessment approach to ensure we continually improve safety at our Club(s). These assessments are shared with the BGCT Safety Committee and BGCT Board to ensure that action items are completed promptly.

Safety Training: Ongoing training and supervision of staff are critical. We participate in various child safety training through online courses, [seminars, conferences, and webinars]. We also engage leading third-party safety experts to guide our policies and approaches, including Praesidium, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the National Children’s Advocacy Center.

Safety Committee: BGCT has a dedicated board-led safety committee that provides input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies.

Mandatory Employee Reference: Any employee interested in moving to another Boys & Girls Club must have a reference from their 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 that affect facilities and vehicles.

Safety Partnerships: Nationally, Boys & Girls Clubs of America works with leading experts in 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, composed of local Club leaders who provide input on 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, BGCT partners with:

·               Local police and law enforcement agencies

·               Schools we serve

·               Local behavioral health providers

Continued Commitment: In July 2020, Boys & Girls Club organizations voted to adopt additional safety measures to improve safety within our Clubs. Though many of these practices were already commonplace across our Movement, this vote made them mandatory for all Clubs. These include more stringent reference and background checks, enhanced Safety Committee requirements, assertive communication of key safety resources and information, and more. With an unprecedented majority, on July 26, 2021, local Boys & Girls Clubs voted in record numbers to adopt additional membership requirements that further enhance child safety, implementing recommendations from RAINN that began in 2020 and will continue over the next two years – a demonstration of our continued commitment to keeping kids safe.

Nationally, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has advocated for passage of the U.S. PROTECT Act to improve 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 support 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 entrusted to our care at BGCT. Please visit the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page to learn more about our national safety policies and actions.