CHILD SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY

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 Club 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 the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Derry. 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

Mandatory Annual Safety Assessments

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Derry staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters. We are required to report any critical incident/safety concern to local authorities immediately, and 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.

Mandatory Employee Reference

Mandatory Annual Safety Assessments

Mandatory Employee Reference

Any Boys & Girls Club employee looking to move locations MUST have a reference from the previous Club to be eligible for rehire.

Safety Committee

Mandatory Annual Safety Assessments

Mandatory Employee Reference

The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Derry has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies.

Safety Trainings

Culture of Safety

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.

Culture of Safety

The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Derry continually 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 and guidelines to keep our kids safe.

State and Local Laws

We comply with federal, state, and local safety laws, including those impacting facilities and vehicles.

State and Local Laws

Safety Partnerships

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America work with leading experts and organizations in the areas of safety, security, and technology to develop state-of-the-art solutions for all Club locations.

Safety Partnerships

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.

Child Safety

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 the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Derry.

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. The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Derry continually updates robust safety policies and actions for our staff and volunteers that are designed to promote child safety within the Club.

National Safety Policies

To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page.

Boys & Girls Club of Americas Safety Page