The Safety and Well-being of Young People 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 that stance.

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Culture of Safety

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas 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:

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• Please see Safety Policies at the Front Desk at the Club

• Staff sexual abuse training certification

• Mandatory parent meetings 

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Safety Policies

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas has comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth – including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication and prohibiting private one-on-one contact.

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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 and Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com.

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Mandatory Background Checks

Mandatory criminal background checks are required every year for every staff and board member at Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas. 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 and Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas staff and volunteers 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 and 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, 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.

Safety Committee

Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:

 

• Installation of auto-locking door systems at each club

• Installation of surveillance camera systems at each club

• Sexual abuse prevention program
   

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

• 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.

Our young people deserve nothing less than our constant focus on their safety and our firm commitment to protecting every child who is entrusted to our care at Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas.