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 Ridgefield 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:

• A dedicated Safety Policy & Procedure Handbook that outlines daily requirements of all employees and volunteers to ensure the safety of Club members at all times, as well as action steps to take if an unsafe situation should arise

• Mandatory Policy and Procedure and Safety Training yearly for all staff members and volunteers

• A dedicated Safety Advocate on staff

Safety Policies: The Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield 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, the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield members and staff have access to  a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email [email protected]. 

Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory criminal background checks are required every year for every staff and board member at Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield. 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 and through Verified Volunteers.

Required Immediate Reporting: The Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield 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.

Safety Trainings: Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted such as Abuse & Neglect Seminars, Safety Conferences, and Mandated Reporting and Abuse and Neglect webinars. 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: The Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:

• Campus and building walk-throughs and inspections with the Ridgefield Police Department, Ridgefield Fire Department and Ridgefield Health Department to create action plans for any areas of weakness noticed

Developing policies for the safe use of internet and social media in Clubs by membersMaintaining ongoing relationships with the Ridgefield Public Schools Superintendent and Principals, as well as private and catholic schools we serve, to ensure we all work together to create a culture of safety  

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. Partners include:

• National Child Safety Advisory Task Force, made up of leading experts and organizations: Blue Ribbon Taskforce, compromised of local club leaders charged with providing input on 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, the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield partners with:

• The Ridgefield Police Department, to provide programming for our Club members, training for our Staff members, and support for the Club members and families who need it

• Kids in Crisis, a local non-profit organization that provides emergency shelter, crisis counseling and community education programs for our Club kids and families and training for our staff

• The Department of Child & Family Services and the Department of Early Childhood Education, to ensure we adhere to the highest standards

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.

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 the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield.  To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page, here.