Club Safety
Ensuring Child Safety Is Fundamental To The Mission Of Our Club
Child Safety at The Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster
The safety of young people is our highest priority. When youth feel physically and emotionally safe, they are better able to learn, grow, and thrive. We are committed to continuously strengthening our safety policies, practices, and training to ensure they remain centered on the needs of the young people we serve. Nothing is more important than keeping children safe.
The Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster maintains a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate behavior of any kind, including child abuse or misconduct. We uphold strict standards across our facilities, staffing, and programming, while also equipping young people with the social-emotional skills and awareness needed to make safe, healthy decisions. Safety is the foundation of everything we do.
We maintain a strong culture of safety through ongoing training, clear policies, and layered protections designed to safeguard youth. Our approach includes:
- Regular safety drills, including fire drills
- Threat and crisis response training
- Comprehensive background screening, including CORI, SORI, and First Advantage checks
- Clear supervision and operational policies, including strict prohibitions on private one-on-one interactions, and guidelines for transportation and communication
- These measures are continually reviewed and updated to reflect best practices and emerging risks.
Reporting and Accountability: We encourage staff, members, and families to report any situation they believe may be unsafe. Through our partnership with Praesidium, a national leader in youth safety, we provide access to a confidential, 24-hour Child Safety Hotline:
Phone: 866-607-SAFE (7233)
Email: SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com
Mandatory Background Checks
Mandatory criminal background checks are required every year for every staff and board member at The Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster. In addition, criminal background checks are required for any volunteer who has direct contact with children.
Required Immediate Reporting
The Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters. We are required to report any critical incident or safety concern to local authorities immediately. We are also required to report any critical incident to Boys & Girls Clubs of America within 24 hours.
Safety Training
Ongoing training and supervision of staff are critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training through seminars, conferences, and webinars. We also engage leading third-party safety experts to provide guidance for our policies and approaches.
Committees & Partners
The Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster has a dedicated Safety Committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:
- Board Members being versed in facility safety policies
- Members and Staff being RAD trained
- 24/7 surveillance of facility all doors locked with buzzing system
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, The Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster partners with:
- Leominster and Fitchburg Fire Departments
- Leominster and Fitchburg Police Departments
- Leominster Emergency Management
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 protecting every child who is entrusted to our care at The Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page, here.
