At Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, Child Safety is Job No. 1

At Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley (BGCTNV), there is nothing more important than the safety of our youth members. We work every day to create a safe, fun environment, so kids can have every opportunity to be successful in life.

We do not tolerate inappropriate behavior of any kind, including child sexual abuse or misconduct. From strict adherence to policies and guidelines within Club facilities and staffing structure, to equipping young people with the critical thinking and social-emotional skills to make healthy, safe choices, ensuring Club members are safe is the first step to their success.

Culture of Safety

BGCTNV 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.

Safety Policies

BGCTNV 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, BGCTNV 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

All local Club employees and board volunteers must undergo an annual criminal background check, and all volunteers (including minors) who have direct, repetitive contact with children must also receive an annual background check. The requirement also applies to staff and volunteers from other organizations who may work in local Clubs as part of a partnership or collaboration. Boys & Girls Clubs of America has partnered with one of the largest background screening companies, First Advantage, to provide affordable, fast access to the most comprehensive screenings available today.

Required Immediate Reporting

BGCTNV 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 & 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 Training

It is a membership requirement that all staff and volunteers of local Clubs are trained annually on the local Club’s required comprehensive safety policies. Additionally, all Club employees have access to a variety of safety trainings from BGCA and through partner organizations. Clubs participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted through 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

BGCTNV has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies.

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.

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 our over 4,600 sites.

• BGCA’s National Child Safety Advisory Task Force, a group of national multidisciplinary experts in various aspects of child safety and protection that meet quarterly to review and advise on national safety trends and BGCA’s safety strategies;
• 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; and
• Crisis Text Line, a confidential text message service for youth in times of crisis.

Appropriate Use of Technology

BGCA has developed policies to ensure the safe and appropriate use of technology in Clubhouses, including computers, mobile technology and social media. Resources, trainings and activities are tailored for various audiences and age ranges, including kids, tweens, teens and adult staff members. Additionally, BGCA provides Clubs with digital use policy templates to help Clubs create their own local policies.

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.

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