COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club - Safety is our Number One Priority!
Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club - Child Safety is Job No. 1
Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of the Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club. The safety and well-being of your child is our number one 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 the stance.
Culture of Safety:
The Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club 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:
-Installing cameras throughout the building including coverage in formerly blind spots.
-Instituted a policy allowing only one member in the bathroom at a time and separate bathroom facilities for adults.
-Required yearly background checks for all staff, board members and volunteers.-Complete padding around the gym walls.
-Significant staff training on how to protect the youth we serve.
Safety Policies:
The Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club maintains 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 unsafe. Through our national partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation's leading safety experts, Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club members, parents 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, Board Member and Volunteer at the Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club. 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 and the Criminal Registry through Intelifi.
Required Immediate Reporting: Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club staff and volunteers are all mandated reports. We are required to report and have in the past, reported 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 our Club.
Safety Training:
Ongoing training and supervision of staff is held throughout the year. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted such as seminars, webinars, Boys and Girls Club of America Regional and National Conferences and State training. We also engage leading third-party safety experts to provide guidance for our polices and approaches, including Praesidium, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the National Children's Advocacy Center.
Safety Committee: The Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:
-Guidance and input regarding polices and procedurs during Covid-19.
-Performing quarterly walk-through of the building for upgrade, improvements and changes.
-A commitment to upgrading equipment.
-Making the club a secure, safe facility where all members can learn and grow.
Mandatory Employee Reference: Any employee interested in moving to another Boys and girls Club is required to have a reference from the previous Club, even if the Clubs are in 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 and Girls Clubs of America work 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
-Blue Ribbon Task-force, 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, the Ogdensburg Boys and girls Club partners with:
-The Ogdensburg City School District with open lines of communication to help enhance the safety of our members-The St. Lawrence Lewis Boces-Ogdensburg Police Department-Ogdensburg Fire Department
Nationally, the Boys and Girls Club 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 the Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club.
