The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of High Point - Parent Handbook (2022-2023)

The Salvation Army Mission Statement: The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

Boys & Girls Club Mission Statement: To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

We offer school-aged childcare programs that promote learning through play, recreation, and structured classes.

After School Program: for school age children (grades K-8) who are enrolled at a participating elementary school. This program runs August through May each year, following the traditional Guilford County Schools calendar.

STEAM Summer Day Camp: available for school aged children in K-8th Grade. Junior Counselor-In-Training is offered for High School aged youth 9-12th grade.

Victory Sports Programs (Seasonal): is offered for all school age youth K-12th grade.

Junior Counselor-In-Training: See Branch Manager for details and application.

****Parents are responsible for maintaining accurate record information as well as escorting their child from the site daily.

The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of High Point recognizes the worth of all persons, regardless of race, religion, sex, age, physical disability, special needs or economic circumstances.

Children with Special Needs: The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of High Point and the staff members do not discriminate against any children, adults, or families. All children and families are welcome into our program. In some cases, there may be a level of care in which our staff is not trained. Please contact the Branch Manager with any special needs.

Parents and guardians can register their child at The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of High Point at 121 SW Cloverleaf Place, High Point. A completed registration packet must be on file 24 hours before your child begins any program. ALL forms included in the packet must be turned in at time of registration including Income Eligibility form, signed Parent Agreement, Transportation Agreement and accompanied with current Immunization Records and Birth Certificate.

Families may apply for financial assistance by completing a Scholarship Application with proof of income and residency.

The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club operates on-site every full day that school is in session. We follow the Traditional Calendar for Guilford County Schools. We will offer some full day care options for teacher workdays that are on the approved calendar. See the Branch Manager for upcoming dates and options.

After School Care Hours: Immediately following regular school dismissal until 6:00 PM. *** (Not including early dismissal days and school holidays) ***

• Unscheduled School Cancellation: If school is cancelled due to inclement weather, TSA Boys & Girls Club will also be closed.

STEAM Summer Day Camp Hours: Drop off 7:30 AM until 6:00 PM. Excluding Holidays (See Calendar attached in the back of this guide.)

ALL CHILDREN MUST BE PICKED UP BY 6:00 PM. Late pick-up will be assessed and an additional fee of $5.00 for the first 5 minutes plus an additional $1 per minute thereafter per child.

Late pick-up fees will be due with payment for the next week, child cannot return until this fee is paid.

If your child has not been picked up within one hour of program end, and TSA Boys & Girls Club has not been notified of your delay, the TSA Boys & Girls Club Staff will call the police to take your child home and CPS will be called for assistance.

Continual late pick-up may result in dismissal from the program.

Registration Fee (for all programs): $25.00 per child.

After School Care Fees: $65 for first child and $60 for each additional child per week ($5 discount per additional child). Payable by cash or credit card. 1st week is due at registration. The full weekly fee is due if your child attends at least one day of the week. All weeks where TSA Boys & Girls Club is available 4 or 5 days will be full price, 3 days will be $45 for the first child and 2 days will be $35 for the first child ($5 discount per additional child).

STEAM Summer Day Camp fee: $85.00 per week. Payable by cash or credit card. 1st week is due at registration. The full weekly fee is due if your child attends at least one day of the week. All weeks where TSA Boys & Girls Club is available 4 or 5 days will be full price, 3 days will be $75.00 for the first child and 2 days will be $65.00 for the first child ($5 discount for second child). If you plan a vacation week during summer camp, you will need to notify us before camp begins in order to hold their spot without a weekly fee. This is available for 1 week only per camp season.

Payment Policy:

Weekly Fees are payable by Cash, Money Order or Credit Card Only.

If your child is absent for an entire week and you have not informed the staff, you will be responsible for payment for the whole week. If you child has financial assistance and they miss days without notification three or more times, they will be subject to losing their financial assistance to someone on the waiting list.

Should any debit not be honored by my bank for any reason, I understand that I am still responsible for the payment, plus a $25.00 service charge applied by The Salvation Army. This is in addition to any service fee my bank may require.

For those who have been awarded a scholarship for TSA Boys & Girls Club, that scholarship may be revoked. Parents or Guardians must reapply with a new scholarship application and its additional paperwork. For those not on scholarship, a one-week pre-payment balance must be always maintained.

Assistance is available to qualifying families through our Scholarship Program.

Scholarship Applications may be picked up from the Branch Manager, via e-mail, mail or on our website, www.tsabgchp.org. 

Parents/Guardians are to submit completed forms along with proof of residency and proof of income to the Branch Manager.

If your child will not be riding the bus on a certain day, please call the TSA Boys & Girls Club by 1 pm at 336-881-5444.

Please adhere to this policy so that the buses are not delayed. Habitual no-call could lead to loss of bus privileges.

Check–In Procedure Role will be taken as children arrive at the location. Any child registered in the program but not present will be verified with the school office/personnel as to the check- out/absence status. In order to make this more efficient for the TSA Boys & Girls Club Staff and the school staff, please call the Branch Manager at 336-881-5444 to inform them of a child’s absence from school or the Club.

Authorization for Release of a Child:

Only persons listed on your Enrollment Agreement are authorized to pick up and sign out your child. ID’s of all individuals picking up children will be checked every day and is strictly enforced. If a non- custodial parent has been denied access, or granted limited access, to a child by a court order, TSA Boys & Girls Club Program shall secure documentation to that effect, maintain a copy on file, and comply with the terms of the court order.

If the parent(s) or person(s) authorized by the parent appears to be physically and/or emotionally impaired to the extent that, in the judgment of the Branch Manager and/or staff member, the child would be placed in harm if released to such an individual, the TSA Boys & Girls Club Staff shall ensure that: 1. The child may not be released to such an impaired individual; 2. Staff members attempt to contact the child’s other parent, or an alternative person authorized by the parent(s); and 3. If the center is unable to make alternative arrangements, a staff member shall call DFCS to seek assistance in caring for the child.

In the event of an emergency, when a child must be picked up by someone not authorized in the enrollment agreement, we require the following:

• Parent that registered the child must call the TSA Boys & Girls Club Branch Manager to notify them of the emergency need to add an additional authorized person.
• Parent that registered the child must fax or e-mail a photocopy of their driver’s license and a completed Additional Pick-up form. The TSA Boys & Girls Club’s fax number is 336-884-4125 and the e-mail address to use is ron.rice@uss.salvationarmy.org
• The person picking up the child must present an identification card with his/her photo and must sign out the child. ***Your child/children will not be allowed to leave TSA Boys & Girls Club with an unauthorized person under any circumstances.
• Any change in family status which impacts authorized parties for pickup will require official documentation from the parent or guardian that originally registered the child. Permission must be submitted in advance, specifying days and departure times.

The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club is not responsible for the child’s safety and supervision once they have left the program.

A 14-day written notice is required if your child is being withdrawn from the program. Daily Absence:

If your child is going to be absent, it is extremely important that you call the Branch Manager cell phone 336-583-9076 to notify the staff of the absence.

Repeated failure to alert TSA Boys & Girls Club of absences may result in termination from the Program.

Weekly Absence: If you know that your child will be absent from the Program for a specific week, please notify TSA Boys & Girls Club at 336-881-5444.

Each of our staff is carefully chosen to be positive role models and caring individuals.

All employees have passed a criminal background check, reference checks and pre-employment fingerprinting.

All staff at each site are CPR and First Aid certified within their first 90 days of employment.

View our Commitment to Child Safety

• Academic Support
• Homework Time- homework assistance and resources
• Literacy- reading clubs, individual and group readings
• Health, Wellness, Fitness- encourage all participants to participate daily in structured and unstructured Physical Fitness Activities, Games, Intramural Sports etc.
• Arts and Crafts
• Character Development
• Social Competencies
• Conflict Resolutions
• Asset Development

Community Collaborations affords the opportunity to enrich the program through resources available from community partnerships.

Meets USDA CACFP Regulations

If any child has food restrictions due to allergies, please get a doctor’s note so we may request a substitute snack.

Snacks are provided at no cost through the CACFP program for After School Care. Breakfast and Lunch are provided for STEAM Summer Day Camp and Remote Enrichment.

You may pack lunch or snacks for your child; however they must meet and conform to the USDA CACFP regulations. NO FAST FOOD, candy or soft drinks may be permitted.

Children are NOT permitted to bring toys, electronic games, MP3 players, cellular phones, smart watches or other personal articles.

If items of this nature are brought to the Club, they will be held by the Branch Manager until pick-up and handed over to a parent/guardian.

TSA Boys & Girls Club is not responsible for items lost, broken or stolen during program hours.

The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of High Point

Phone: 336-881-5444

Address: 121 SW Cloverleaf Place, High Point, NC 27263

Branch Manager: Ron Rice

• Work Phone: 336-881-5446*
• Cell Phone: 336-583-9076*
• Email: Ron.Rice@uss.salvationarmy.org

*Please leave a message if the Branch Manager is unavailable so your call can be returned as soon as possible.

Our TSA Boys & Girls Club staff members that work with school-age children are committed to provide a safe, nurturing environment for all children. 

To the best of our ability we will:

• Ensure the safety and health of all participants and provide a responsive and caring environment for them while improving personal and family relationships.
• Ensure that programs for young children reflect a dedicated effort toward positive and valuable experiences and to facilitate personal growth.
• Help children learn to live and work cooperatively, promoting self-esteem and respecting their individual differences and becoming better leaders and supporters.
• Respect and support families in their task of nurturing and guiding.
• Maintain high standards of professional conduct.
• Recognize that personal values, opinions and biases can affect professional judgment, and strive to serve as positive role models for children.
• Serve as advocates for children and their families within the community.
• Report any and all suspicions of child abuse to Child Protective Services.
• Incorporate challenging activities for both small and large groups to develop specific skills and have fun!

The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of High Point is committed to maintaining your confidence and trust, and accordingly maintains the following privacy policy to protect personal information you provide online and through data collection.

Basic Confidentiality Policy

• It is our policy that personal information, such as your name, postal and e-mail address or telephone number, are private and confidential.
• Accordingly, the personal information you provide is stored in a secure location, is accessible only by designated staff, and is used only for the purposes for which you provide the information.
• No Release of Information to Third Parties.
• Personal information will not be released to third parties except if release is required by law or is pertinent to judicial or governmental investigations or proceedings.
• There are no other circumstances under which we will provide or sell personal information to third parties to distribute personal information about our visitors.

All medical or special conditions (Allergies, ADHD, Autism, etc.) must be listed on the registration form with the plan of action. The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club can only administer prescription medication for life-threatening instances, for example- epi-pens and inhalers, provided by the parents/guardians. If the medication is to go home with the child at the end of the day or week, parents/guardians are responsible for picking it up from the Branch Manager. Prescription medication to be administered to your child by the staff must:

Be brought directly to the Branch Manager by the parent or guardian.

Be in the original container labeled with the child’s name, date, directions and the physician’s name.

Be accompanied by the Medication Authorization Form, filled out by the parent/ guardian, listing: child’s full name, name of medication, prescription number, time medication is to be given, amount of medication to be given, dates to be given, and noticeable adverse reactions.

If there are noticeable adverse reactions, the parent/ guardian will be called.

You MUST notify the Branch Manager if the medication is to be refrigerated.

Absence of this form will prevent your child from receiving medication.

Forms are in effect for a maximum of 6 months.

If medication is to be given for a longer period of time, a new form must be submitted. We are not permitted to administer any OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATION without signed directive from your child’s physician and the medication must be provided by parent/guardian directly to the Branch Manager. Your child is not permitted to possess or self-administer any form of medication while at TSA Boys & Girls Club or related event.

If an accident should occur at the Club, the Branch Manager will advise the parent at the time of pick- up.

The counselor caring for the child will complete a written report of any accident considered serious, detailing the First Aid procedure that was followed.

We require that parents read and sign this document.

If emergency treatment is warranted, the Executive Director will immediately notify the parent or guardian and the child will be transported by ambulance to High Point Medical Center at 601 N. Elm Street, High Point.

TSA Boys & Girls Club Illness Policy is the same as the schools’ policy.

A sick child is to be kept at home for his or her own sake and that of others.

A CHILD SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED OR ALLOWED TO REMAIN AT THE SITE IF THE CHILD HAS THE EQUIVALENT OF ONE HUNDRED (100) DEGREE OR HIGHER ORAL TEMPERATURE OR ANOTHER CONTAGIOUS SYMPTOM, SUCH AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A RASH, DIARRHEA, OR A SORE THROAT. THE PARENT/GUARDIAN WILL BE CALLED TO PICK UP THE CHILD.

If a child becomes sick during the program, they will be separated from the group until they are picked up.

TSA Boys & Girls Club should be informed about the nature of any illness.

If your child has a communicable disease, please keep them out of the Club and notify the staff when the Doctor has cleared them for return.

If your child has a suspected case of a notifiable communicable disease, the staff is required to notify the local county Health Department, and, if confirmed, a letter to all parents of participating children stating possible exposure to a communicable disease will be sent out.

We encourage parents to actively commit to our program to ensure its success in the following ways:

Cooperation with all policies and procedures

Effective communication and partnerships between staff and parents are crucial to the wellbeing of each child.

We appreciate when parents keep the TSA Boys & Girls Club staff informed of any changes or special events in their child’s schedule.

Also, please let us know of any transitions in your child’s home life (divorce, birth of a new child, death, etc.). This communication helps the staff remain sensitive to your child’s needs.

We encourage you to share your concerns and/or suggestions as well as your positive comments either in writing at the site or by calling the Director so we can strive for further improvements in the quality of our staff and programming and recognize excellence among our staff as well.

Parents are always welcome to visit the program during operating hours.

We ask for parent emails in order to send out information to the parents.

We also compile a monthly newsletter with upcoming events, what we have done that month and any special news.

Emergency plans have been developed and are posted for parent viewing.

Our philosophy is positive discipline.

• We do not engage in any practices that are physically or psychologically damaging to a child. Children are taught to consider the effect that their actions may have on others.
• Our four Core Values; Honesty, Caring, Respect and Responsibility, are guidelines that every program participant must follow to assure that our program runs smoothly, protects the safety of all, promotes cooperation and assists our children in taking responsibility for their actions.
• Positive Discipline Measures, Behavior & Safety Guidelines are our policy. 

Our goal is for counselors, children, and parents to work together toward cooperative behavior and a cohesive atmosphere.

• Staff will always notify parents of emerging difficulties and ask for assistance in behavior management.
• All participants and parents are required to read and sign behavior management contracts.
• Staff will provide clear, reasonable limits for children’s behavior.
• Each child is expected to maintain proper behaviors while in TSA Boys & Girls Club. Positive behaviors will be reinforced; negative behaviors will be identified and redirected. Children will be taught to recognize and identify their feelings as valid and acceptable, but emphasis will be put on appropriate ways of dealing with those feelings. 

Your child will be disciplined as follows: 

1. Redirection - The child will be redirected in the most respectable way, from a disruptive behavior to an acceptable behavior.
2. Reflection - If the child does not respond to encouragement from the staff to stop inappropriate behavior, the child will be asked to take a short reflection time to think about more appropriate behavior.
3. Removal from Activity - If the behavior continues, or a child continues to be disruptive and not showing responsibility for their behavior, the child will be removed from the group or activity and be given something to do individually. Depending upon the severity of the action, a parent may be called for immediate pick-up. The staff will discuss with the parent what occurred and what further actions may be taken.
4. Conference - If a child continues to be disruptive or exhibits inappropriate behavior/attitude over a series of days, then a conference will be set up between the parent, staff, and Branch Manager.
5. Should a child’s behavior/attitude continue to disrupt TSA Boys & Girls Club, and progress is not being made to correct the behavior/attitude, the parent will be asked to pick up the child immediately. 
6. The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club will not tolerate bullying, swearing, hitting, name calling, or any type of abuse or disrespect towards authority or other Club participants. This follows one of our core values of showing respect to others and self. 
7. If your child is on scholarship and they continuously misbehave, their scholarship will be revoked before we totally remove the child from the program.

The Salvation Army reserves the right to remove a participant from The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of High Point programs for the reasons detailed in this handbook.

• Participants may also be removed for other circumstances during the school year that are deemed to be pertinent and relevant to the safety and well-being of all.
• The Directors will make these decisions on an individual basis.

The following are some reasons we may have to terminate or suspend a child from TSA Boys & Girls Club of High Point Programs: 

Parental Actions for child’s suspension/expulsion

• Failure to pay/ habitual lateness in payments.
• Failure to complete required forms.
• Habitual tardiness when picking up child.
• Physical or verbal abuse to participants or staff.
• All parent questions or concerns must be addressed with the Branch Manager. Any concerns regarding other staff will require a conference set up through the Branch Manager.

Child’s Actions for suspension/expulsion

• Uncontrollable tantrums/angry outbursts
• Ongoing physical or verbal abuse to staff or other children

Childcare personnel having reasonable cause to believe that a child under the age of 18 has had physical injury inflicted upon him/her by other than accidental means by a parent or a guardian, or has been neglected or exploited by a parent/guardian, or has been sexually assaulted or sexually exploited, MUST be reported or cause reports to be made to the Department of Human Resources, Child Protection Agency.

In order to keep your child safe, our staff adheres to the following code of conduct:

To protect TSA Boys & Girls Club Staff, volunteers, and program members, at no time during a TSABGC program may a staff person be alone with a single child where he or she cannot be observed by others. As staff supervise children, they should space themselves in such a way that other staff can see them. No staff shall ever leave a child unsupervised.

1. Rest-room supervision: Staff will make sure the restroom is not occupied by suspicious or unknown individuals before allowing children to use the facilities.

• If children are washing hands only, small groups may be sent in while staff observes.
• If child needs to use the facility, only 1 child will be allowed in the rest room at a time. This is to prevent any child from inappropriately looking or crawling under a stall wall into another stall.
• This policy allows privacy for the children and protection for the staff (not being alone with a child). If staff is assisting children, doors to the facility must remain open.
• No child, regardless of age, should ever enter a bathroom alone on a field trip or at other off- site location.
• Children will always be accompanied by a staff member to and from the restroom when on or off –site.

     2. Staff will conduct or supervise activities in pairs. When this is not feasible, staff will be positioned so that they are visible to others.

     3. Staff shall show respect for all members of the program and will not abuse children in any way, including;

• physical abuse—striking, spanking, shaking, slapping, and so on;
• verbal abuse—humiliating, degrading, threatening, and so on;
• sexual abuse—touching or speaking inappropriately;
• mental abuse—shaming, withholding kindness, being cruel, and so on;
• neglect—withholding food, water, or basic care. 

Zero tolerance for abuse is our policy. Abuse results in immediate dismissal.

     4. Staff will use positive techniques of guidance including redirection, positive reinforcement, and encouragement rather than competition, comparison, and criticism.

     5. Staff will have age-appropriate expectations and set up guidelines and environments that minimize the need for discipline.

     6. Physical restraint is used only in predetermined situations (when necessary to protect the child or other children from harm), administered only in a prescribed       manner, and must be documented in writing.

     7. Staff will conduct a visual check of each child upon his or her arrival each time the program meets, noting any fever, bumps, bruises, burns, and so on. Questions or comments will be honestly addressed to the parent or child in a nonthreatening way. Staff will document any questionable marks or responses.

     8. Staff will respond to children with respect and consideration and treat all children equally, regardless of sex, race, religion, culture, economic level of the family, or disability.

      9. Staff will respect children’s rights not to be touched or looked at in ways that make them feel uncomfortable, and their right to say no. Children are not to be touched on areas of their bodies that would be covered by a bathing suit.

     10. Staff will refrain from intimate displays of affection toward others in the presence of children, parents, and staff.

     11. Staff is not to transport children in their own vehicles or allow youth participants old enough to drive to transport younger children in the program.

     12. Staff must appear clean, neat, and appropriately attired.

     13. Using, possessing, or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs during working hours is prohibited.

     14. Possession or use of any type of weapon or explosive device is prohibited.

     15. Using TSA Boys & Girls Club computers to access inappropriate sites, send e-mails with sexual overtones or otherwise inappropriate messages, or develop online relationships is not allowed.

     16. Profanity, inappropriate jokes, sharing intimate details of one’s personal life, and any kind of harassment in the presence of children, parents, volunteers, or other staff is prohibited.

     17. Staff may not be alone with children they meet in TSA Boys & Girls Club programs outside the Club. This includes babysitting, sleepovers, driving or riding in cars, and inviting children to their homes. There are NO EXCEPTIONS. This also includes technological contact and social media.

     18. Staff must be free of physical and psychological conditions that might adversely affect children’s physical or mental health. If in doubt, an expert should be consulted.

     19. Staff will portray a positive role model for youth by maintaining an attitude of loyalty, patience, courtesy, tact, honesty, caring, respect, responsibility, and maturity.

     20. Staff should not give personal gifts (e.g., TV, video games, jewelry) to youth.

     21. Under no circumstances should staff release children to anyone other than the authorized parent, guardian, or other adult authorized by the parent or guardian (written parent authorization on file with the TSA Boys & Girls Club)

     22. Staff is to maintain the honesty of the program and report to a supervisor any other staff or volunteer who violates any of the policies listed in this Code of Conduct.

     23. Staff is required to read and sign all policies related to identifying, documenting, and reporting child abuse and attend Safe From Harm trainings on the subject, as instructed by a supervisor.

     24. Staff will act in a caring, honest, respectful, and responsible manner consistent with the mission of The Salvation Army.

For the purposes of this policy, a grievance is a complaint/conflict over an alleged violation of an approved personnel policy, procedure, or practice, or applicable local, state, or federal law.

Any grievance procedure from a child or youth must begin with the site counselors or the Branch Manager. If the grievance is with the Branch Manager, the youth or child can contact, or have their parent/guardian contact, the Corps Officers at 336-881-5400.

The Unit Director has an open-door policy. If you ever have a grievance or need to talk; you are welcomed and encouraged to do so.

If not successfully resolved, the grievance may be appealed, without fear of retaliation or interference, through a chain of command with the final authority resting with the Corps Officer.

All grievances must be made in writing within 30 days of the alleged violation. A response, at each step, is required within 5 working days.

Swimming at the Club is a fun activity. But that requires that we make water safety a top priority. When the pool is open, there is 1 certified lifeguard for every 25 youth on duty and one staff member as a spotter. All staff are certified in 1st Aid, CPR, and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training.

• All youth participating in swimming programs and lessons will be required to take an in-water swim test prior to swimming.
• Swimmers will be given a rubber arm band that is color coded to the areas they are allowed to swim in safely.
• Swimmers who misplace or break their swim band will not be allowed to swim until they can re-test and earn another band.
• Swimmers must NOT go beyond the area allowed by their band.
• Swimmers can re-test to improve their boundaries once a week.
• All parents/guardians are required to fill out a swim survey/application during registration.
• NO YOUTH WILL BE ALLOWED IN THE POOL WITHOUT THE APPLICATION BEING COMPLETED. 

Swimming is a privilege and breaking any of the following rules will result in reduction or removal of this privilege.

1. No Running.
2. No Diving/Jumping in the path of another child.
3. No dunking others.
4. Follow all directions from the lifeguard and spotter.
5. Boys must wear swim trunks (No basketball shorts)
6. Girls must wear a one-piece swimsuit (No bikinis).
7. No cut-off shorts.

The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club takes photos throughout their programming. Some of these photos may be used in marketing material. Please be aware that by registering your child, you will be given a Photo Consent Form as part of your Enrollment Package.