Club Safety

The Safety and Wellbeing of Young People 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 that stance.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the State or local Agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Culture of Safety

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor 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:

• Annual background checks for all staff and volunteers
• All volunteers must check in upon arrival at any of our Clubs
• Only parents and guardians are eligible to pick up Club members

Safety Policies

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor 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 the Corridor 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

Mandatory criminal background checks are required every year for every staff and board member at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor. 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 Department of Investigations through the State of Iowa.

Required Immediate Reporting

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor 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(s).

Safety Training

Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted such as CPR, First Aid, Active Threat Training, mandatory child abuse reporter. 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 the Corridor has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:

• Comply with Boys & Girls Clubs of America's safety regulations and protocols
• Trained professional staff provides a safe and positive environment for all Club members at all locations
• Ongoing communication within a Board-lead safety committee and Board of Directors

Mandatory Employee Reference

Any employee interested in moving to a position at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor from another Boys & Girls Club is required to have a reference from the previous Club.

State & 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

Locally, Boys & Girls Clubs of Cedar Rapids partners with:

• CedarRapids, Marion and Iowa City Police Departments
• TanagerPlace
• UnitedWay 211
• CedarRapids, Marion, LinnMar School Districts

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 forMissing & Exploited Children and the Centers forDisease 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 the Corridor. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page, here.