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Safety is Our #1 Priority

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Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of King County. We work every day to create a safe environment for our kids.

Safety is Our #1 Priority

Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of King County. We work every day to create a safe environment for our kids.

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

BGCKC continually reviews safety best practices and updates our safety policies, programs and training for staff and volunteers to promote youth safety. All staff and volunteers that have repetitive direct contact with club members review and acknowledge our Code of Conduct annually and complete a Praesidium developed training curriculum for prevention of child sex abuse and mandated reporter requirements.
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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

Mandatory criminal background checks are conducted upon hire and annually for every staff and board member at BGCKC. Additionally, criminal background checks are required for any volunteer who has direct, repetitive contact with youth. Screenings include criminal background checks in all 50 States and a check of the National Sex Offender Registry.

Annual Training & Tools

Each year, staff receive mandatory training prior to the start of school year in topics that include; First Aid/CPR, Mandated Reporter Requirements, Positive Youth Development Principals, Active Supervision, Playground Safety, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention & De-escalation, Social Emotional Learning, Trauma Informed Care, Facility, Vehicle, and Youth Safety Updates. Additionally, mandatory summer camp specific trainings are completed prior to the start of summer camp in topics that include; Field Trip Safety, Swimming & Water Safety Policies, Transportation Safety, Air Quality/Wildfire Smoke Safety, Heat Illness Prevention.

Incident Reporting

BGCKC staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters and are required to report any critical incident/safety concern to local authorities & Boys & Girls Clubs of America within 24 hours.

Internal & External Mandatory Safety Assessments

We employ a multi-tiered safety assessment approach to ensure we continually make improvements to safety at our Club(s). This includes internal quarterly safety audits, as well as external annual audits through Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Board-Led Safety Committee

BGCKC has a dedicated Board-led Safety Committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies.

Mandatory Employee Reference Checks

Any employee interested in moving to another Boys & Girls Club across the nation is required to have a reference from their previous Club’s supervisor and Human Resources Department. This includes transferring between local clubs. This is to ensure any allegations of sexual misconduct or child endangerment are communicated prior to rehire.
Learn About Our Other Policies
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Board Led Safety Committee Members

Dr. Dena Brownstein
MD, Pediatric Emergency Medicine (Retired)
Stephen Charlton
Hanover Insurance
Lieutenant Oscar Gardea
Seattle Police Department
Paul Vlcek
The Partners Group
Laurie Black
President & CEO
Tomeka Brooks
SE Network Operations Director
Jamie Heil
Chief Club Program and Operation Officer
Ellie Hooman
Chief Human Resources Officer
Steve Legg
East Side Clubs
Emily Mathiesen
Operations Director
Adam Monda
Operations Director
Cynthia Ricks-Maccotan
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
Chief Harold Scoggins
Seattle Fire Department
Rachel Smith
Executive Director of Health and Safety
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Safety Partnerships

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Nationally, Boys & Girls Clubs of America works with leading safety, security, and technology experts 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, 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
Learn About Our Other Policies