COMMITMENT TO 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.
Culture of Safety
The Boys & Girls Club of Bangor 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:
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Selective hiring practices
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Comprehensive safety training for all staff and volunteers
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Education of club members and their families regarding our Club Code of Conduct
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Technology and social media policies and procedures
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Emergency response procedures
Safety Policies
The Boys & Girls Club of Bangor has comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth, including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication and prohibiting private one-on-one contact.
For more information, please read through our Policies for the Protection of Youth
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, The Boys & Girls Club of Bangor 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 Club of Bangor. 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
Boys & Girls Club of Bangor staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters. We undergo a required annual mandated reporting training and are all required to report any critical incident or 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.
Safety Trainings
Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety trainings including CPR and First Aid, Water Safety, Mandated Reporter, Active Shooter, and more. 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.
COVID-19
We take serious care into the handling of COVID-19 at our Club, ensuring the health and safety of all youth and staff.
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Masks will be worn when the CDC gives Penobscot County a Red (high-risk) designation.
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We will encourage frequent hand-washing and healthy hygiene habits.
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Each surface and material used is sanitized at the end of the day by staff.
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If your child has any symptoms and/or is feeling unwell, please keep them home.
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At-home tests are easy and effective at identifying the virus.
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Please report all cases to our Program Director.
