Child Safety
At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County, Child Safety is our #1 Priority
At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County, Child Safety is our #1 Priority
Ensuring child safety is fundamental to our mission
Culture of Safety
We implement layers of safety policies and guidelines to keep our kids safe including:
- Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory criminal background checks are required every year for every staff and board member at Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County. 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 & Girls Clubs of Carroll County 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 Club.
- Safety Training: Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted such as First Aid & CPR, Mandatory Reporting, and Active Shooter training.
Safety Policies
Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County 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, Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County’s members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com.
Safety Committee
Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies.
Mandatory Employee Reference
State and Local Laws
Safety Partnerships
Partners include:
- 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
Locally, Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County partners with:
- Westminster City Police Department
- Carroll County Sheriff’s Department
- Child Protective Services
- Life Renewal Services
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 Carroll County. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page, here.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County | 410-386-0135 | info@bgccarrollcounty.org | 71 E. Main Street, Westminster, MD 21157 | Member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America