Our Commitment to Safety
Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of the Watertown Boys and Girls Club
The safety and well-being of young people is the number one priority at the Watertown Boys and Girls Club.
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 that stance.
Culture of Safety: Watertown Boys & 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.
Safety Policies: Watertown Boys & Girls Club has created comprehensive safety policies that protect youth – including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication and prohibiting private one-on-one contact. The Safety Committee reviews and updates policies which are presented to staff through staff training.
A Building Designed for Safety: In September 2018, Watertown Boys & Girls Club completed a 1.4 million dollar building renovation which was heavily focused on the safety of our youth. Our front desk check in area now has an electronic entrance gate controlled by the staff. All adults are required to check-in at the front desk, sign in to the log book and wear a visitor’s or volunteer badge in order to enter the Club. Cameras were installed throughout the building and all areas throughout the Club are designed to have high visibility.
Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory criminal background checks are required every year for every staff and board member at Watertown Boys & 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.
Required Immediate Reporting: Watertown Boys & Girls Club 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.
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, Watertown Boys & Girls Club 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 Annual Safety Assessments: We complete a safety assessment each year to ensure we continually make improvements to safety at our Club.
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 and a semi-annual safety symposium. 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: Watertown Boys & Girls Club has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. The committee meets regularly and is comprised of staff, board members, local police, social workers and members of the School Department. They create, review and update safety policies for Watertown Boys & Girls Club.
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.
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.
Partnerships include:
- National Child Safety Advisory Taskforce 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.
Our 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 Watertown Boys & Girls Club.