Commitment to Safety
BGCKC is committed to creating a safe, inclusive and culturally relevant club environment to help all members reach their full potential. We employ zero-tolerance for any disregard of our safety and child abuse prevention policies. Any incidents or concerns brought to our attention are investigated and reported to the appropriate authorities.
24-hour Toll-free Child Safety Hotline: We encourage all staff, volunteers, members and their families to report any incident or situation they feel is unsafe. If you have any safety-related concerns or questions, please contact your local Club OR our CEO, Laurie Black. Alternatively, through our national partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation’s leading safety experts, the BGCKC club community has access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline at 866-607-SAFE (7233) or SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com.
A Culture of Safety

Ensuring the safety of our Club kids
At Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, we incorporate national best practice safety standards and work with other community organizations to consistently strengthen our safety programming through new trainings and policies, such as:
Mandatory Criminal Background Checks
Annual Training & Tools
Incident Reporting
Internal & External Mandatory Safety Assessments
Board-Led Safety Committee
Mandatory Employee Reference Checks

Board Led Safety Committee Members
Dr. Dena Brownstein
Stephen Charlton
Lieutenant Oscar Gardea
Paul Vlcek
Laurie Black
Tomeka Brooks
Jamie Heil
Ellie Hooman
Steve Legg
Emily Mathiesen
Adam Monda
Cynthia Ricks-Maccotan
Chief Harold Scoggins
Rachel Smith

Safety Partnerships

- National Child Safety Advisory Task Force, made up of leading experts and organizations
- Blue Ribbon Taskforce, composed of local Club leaders who provide input on safety direction and key safety initiatives
- Mental Health First Aid is 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