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Child Safety

At Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa, Child Safety Is Our Number 1 Priority

Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa.

 

The safety and well being of Young people is our Number One Priority!

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We at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa work every day to create a safe, fun environment so kids can have every opportunity to be successful in life.

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We have ZERO tolerance for inappropriate behavior of any kind, and we put resources behind that stance. Over the years, we have been taken many actions to help combat child abuse of any kind, including advocating for the passage of the U.S. PROTECT ACT, which improved background screening systems and access. We have also partnered with the FBI, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Center for Disease Control to contribute to the development of safety practices that benefit ALL youth-serving organizations.

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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.

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Please review the California Disaster Ready Guide. 

Confidential 24/7, toll-free
866-607-SAFE (7233)
safeclub@Praesidiuminc.com

Child Safety Hotline

KIDS AND TEENS NEED CLUBS

  • Juvenile violent crime escalates between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on school days

  • 1 out of 6 students fails to graduate from high school on time

  • 1 out of 5 young people lives in poverty

  • 43 million kids lack access to summer learning programs, putting them at a significant disadvantage at the start of each school year.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa provide young people with a safe place to go after school and during the summer as well as a positive outlet for their energy. Out-of-school hours serve as the essential link between school and home, offering the greatest opportunity to influence the future of our kids, our communities and our country. Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa seeks to ensure that all kids, especially those who need us most, have a positive and enriching experience when the school bell rings, putting them on the path to success.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa (BGCCC) is committed to helping our Clubs provide a safe and secure experience for youth. Through our Child & Club Safety Department, we implement a six-step plan that follows the best practices available today, using the latest advances in technology and expertise:

    1. Criminal background checks are required for every staff member and board member at local Boys & Girls Club affiliates. In addition, criminal background checks are required for any volunteer who has direct contact with children. Additionally, all potential employees and volunteers are run through the National Sex Offender Registry. BGCCC partners with one of the largest background screening companies to provide the most comprehensive screenings available today.

    2. Through our partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation’s leading safety experts, BGCA provides a confidential 24-hour toll free Child Safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com

    3. Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. Clubs participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted through seminars, conferences and webinars.

    4. Safety policies and procedures must adhere the highest standards. Clubs are required to report any suspected child abuse to local authorities.

    5. All facilities and vehicles are required to comply with federal, state and local safety laws.

    6. We work hard to create a Culture of Safety, which includes the following initiatives:

      • National Child Safety Advisory Task Force, made up of leading experts

      • A dedicated Child Safety Committee on our Board of Governors to guide our national safety efforts

      • National Safety Award Program to recognize leadership and innovation

      • National Child Safety and Protection Symposium, a forum to enable all youth organizations to share their best ideas and solutions for protecting kids

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa 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. These resources include but are not limited to:​

    • Annual Safety Assessments 

    • Member Surveys 

    • Incident Review & Preparedness 

    • Continuous Quality Improvement methods & trainings

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa maintains comprehensive safety policies that protect youth, including but not limited to policies on supervision, transportation, communication and prohibition of one-on-one contact. 

  • 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 Contra Costa members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline at 866-607-SAFE (7233) or SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com.

  • Mandatory criminal background checks are required upon hire and annually for every staff and board member at Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa. In addition, criminal background checks are required for any volunteer who has direct, repetitive contact with children. All potential employees and volunteers are run through the livescan California Department of Justice (DOJ) registry for state, Federal, and national sex offender background checks.

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters and 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.

  • We employ a multi-tiered safety assessment approach to ensure we continually make improvements to safety at our Clubs.

  • Ongoing training and supervision of staff are critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training through online courses, including local trainings in partnership with but not limited to; MDUSD, First responders, Martinez Police Department, Contra Costa County of Education, Child Protective Services. 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.

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa has a dedicated Board-led Safety Committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:

     

      • Improve Youth Outcomes Initiative: Physical, Social & Emotional Safety Indicators 

      • Increase consistent level of engagement in safety trainings for professionals and volunteers 

      • Maintain High Quality Child Safety Assessment

  • Any employee interested in moving to another Boys & Girls Club is required to have a reference from their previous Club, even if the Clubs are within the same community.

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

  • 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:

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    • 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

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    Locally, Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa partners with:

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    • Municipal governments, law enforcement and emergency services (Martinez, Pinole, and Concord)

    • Martinez Rotary Club

    • Contra Costa County Public Health Department

    • American Red Cross

    • Neighborhood Council

    • Business Improvement District

  • In July 2020, Boys & Girls Club organizations voted to adopt additional safety measures to further 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, stronger communication of key safety resources and information, and more. With unprecedented majority, on July 26, 2021, local Boys & Girls Clubs voted in record number 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 who is entrusted to our care at Boys & Girls Clubs of Contra Costa. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page.

We constantly look for ways to improve our practices and training for our local Clubs and staff, and will introduce additional resources as they become available.

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