Culture of Safety

Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo 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.

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 Toledo 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 Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo employees and board volunteers must undergo a comprehensive criminal background check upon hire and annually. All volunteers (including minors) who have direct, repetitive contact with children must also receive an annual background check. This requirement also applies to staff and volunteers from other organizations who may work in local Clubs as part of a partnership or collaboration.

Required Immediate Reporting

Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters. We are required to report any critical incident/safety concern, regardless of severity, 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 Trainings

Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted such as seminars, conferences, webinars. 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

Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo has a dedicated board-led safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies.

Mandatory Employee Reference

Any current or former employee or volunteer 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, prior to employment or volunteering.

State and Local Laws

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

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:

•    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

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.