At the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County, Child Safety is our #1 Priority

Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County.

Culture of Safety: The Boys & Girls Club of Portage County 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:

• Required staff training sessions that include best practices in child safety and care
• Key staff are required to be CPR/First Aid Certified 
• Members are required to be signed out by an approved parent/guardian before leaving Club
• Regular practice drills related to child safety and potential emergency situations
• A full-time position dedicated to promoting and maintaining safety at our Club sites

Safety Policies: The Boys & Girls Club of Portage County 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 Club of Portage County 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 annually for every staff, volunteer, and board member at Boys & Girls Club of Portage County. All potential employees and volunteers are also run through the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry, First Advantage & Family Watch Dog. 

Required Immediate Reporting: Boys & Girls Club of Portage County 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 are required to complete a safety assessment each year and submit it to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. This ensures we remain innovative with our safety procedures and policies. 

Safety Training: Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. Staff participate in a wide variety of child safety training such as PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Supports), ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate), Trauma Informed Care, ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), and many more. We engage local leading third-party safety experts to provide guidance for our policies and approaches, nationally we work through Boys & Girls Clubs of America to gain insights & resources from Praesidium, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the National Children’s Advocacy Center.

Safety Committee: The Boys & Girls Club of Portage County has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:

• Surveillance cameras in our buildings
• Program spaces designed to limit blind spots
• Windows strategically placed in program spaces to increase supervision
• Use of two-way radios with headsets for effective communication
• Enhanced front desks and entrances for a more secure check-in/out process
• Upgraded membership management software system

Mandatory Employee Reference: All potential employees have references verified. Additionally any employee who is hired or interested in moving to another Boys & Girls Club is required to have a positive 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. 

Locally, the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County partners with:

• Portage County Sheriff’s Department
• Stevens Point Police Department
• Plover Police Department
• Stevens Point Fire Department
• Plover Fire Department
• Portage County Health & Human Services
• West Bend Mutual Insurance Company

National Safety Partnerships: 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

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