We work every day to create a safe, inclusive and fun environment so kids can have every opportunity to be successful in life. We have no tolerance for inappropriate behavior of any kind, including child sexual abuse or misconduct, and we put resources behind that stance.

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Culture of Safety: The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing continually updates robust safety policies and provides 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 continually enhance and implement layers of safety policies and guidelines to keep our kids safe.

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Safety Policies: The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing has comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication, and the prohibition of private one-on-one contact.

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24-hour Toll-free Child Safety Hotline: We encourage all staff, Club members, and families to report any incident or situation they feel is unsafe. Through out national partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation's leading safety experts, Boys & Girls Club of Lansing members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com.

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Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory criminal background checks are required upon hire and annually for every staff and board member at the Boys & Girls Club of Lansing. 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.

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Required Immediate Reporting: Boys & Girls Club of Lansing staff and volunteers 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.

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Mandatory Annual Safety Assessments: We complete a safety assessment each year to ensure that we are continually enforcing and improving our safety policies here at the Boys & Girls Club of Lansing.  

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Safety Trainings: Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training. We also engage with leading third-party safety experts to provide guidance for our policies, including Praesidium, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the National Children's Advocacy Center.

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Safety Committee: The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing has a dedicated Safety Committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies.

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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.

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

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Safety Partnerships: 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 the following: ​​

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• 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 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

 

Continued Commitment: In July 2020, all local Boys & Girls Clubs voted to adopt additional safety measures to further improve safety within our Clubs. While many of these practices were already in place, Boys & Girls Clubs of America determined these practices should be mandatory for all Clubs. These measures include more stringent reference and background checks, enhanced Club Safety Committee requirements for all Clubs, and better communication of key safety resources and information available to staff and Club members.

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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.

 

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Updated 3/16/2022