Safety is Our Number One Priority.

At Boys & Girls Clubs of Missoula County, there is nothing more important than the safety of our youth members. We work every day to create a safe, fun environment, so young people can have every opportunity to be successful in life.

We do not tolerate inappropriate behavior of any kind, including child sexual abuse or misconduct. From strict adherence to policies and guidelines within Club facilities and staffing structure, to equipping young people with the critical thinking and social-emotional skills to make healthy, safe choices, ensuring Club members are safe is the first step to their success.

For the 440+ young people who enter the doors of a BGCM Clubhouse each day, our Clubs offer safe, inclusive spaces and experiences that empower members’ learning and growth. 

Culture of Safety

Boys & Girls Club of Missoula County continually updates robust safety policies, programs, and training for our staff 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 youth safe, including:

• Mandatory, annual criminal background checks for all staff and volunteers;
• Maintain a Board-led Safety Committee, elevating safety to the highest level of governance;
• Complete, assess, and initiate improvements from an annual safety assessment of each Clubhouse and the organization as a whole;
• Engage with 3rd party safety experts on training, policies, and resources on a continuous basis;
• Maintain an up-to-date list of authorized adults for pick-up and check identification of all adults upon pick-up of a Club Member;
• Train all staff annually (at minimum) on mandatory reporting, recognizing signs of child abuse, general safety practices and protocols, and safe behavior management techniques.

Safety Policies

Boys & Girls Clubs of Missoula 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. You can see our full Membership and Safety Policies by clicking here.

24-hour Toll-free Child Safety Hotline

We encourage all staff, Club 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 Missoula 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 every year for every staff and board member at Boys & Girls Club of Missoula County. In addition, criminal background checks are required for any volunteer who has direct contact with children.

Required Immediate Reporting

Boys & Girls Club of Missoula County staff 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(s).

Safety Trainings

Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training conducted such as CPR, First Aid, and recognizing and reporting child abuse.

Safety Committee

Boys & Girls Clubs of Missoula County has a dedicated Board-led Safety Committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:

• Comply with Boys & Girls Clubs of America's safety regulations and protocols
• Trained professional staff provides a safe and positive environment for all Club members at all locations
• Ongoing communication within a Board-lead safety committee and Board of Directors 
• 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
• Safety policies, emergency management plans, and crisis communication plans.

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, 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

Locally, Boys & Girls Clubs of Missoula County partners with:
 

• Missoula City and Missoula County Police Departments
• Missoula County
• Youth Dynamics
• Missoula Forum for Children and Youth
• 5210 Let's Move! Missoula
• The United Way

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