AT THE SALVATION ARMY
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF TEXAS,
CHILD SAFETY IS JOB NO. 1

Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Texas

LEARN MORE: SAFETY GUIDELINES

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 Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Texas 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:

• Following Safe from Harm guidelines – The Salvation Army’s abuse prevention training.
• Mandatory background checks.
• Immediate reporting to authorities.
• Annual safety assessments.

Safety Policies: The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Texas 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 Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Texas 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 The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Texas 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 Texas Children’s protective service database. Required Immediate Reporting: The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Texas 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 Clubs. Safety Trainings: Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted such as required Safe from Harm training, safety assessments, child-safety seminars and training. 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.