Commitment to Safety

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: James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn 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 polices and guidelines to keep our kids safe including:

— No guests are allowed in the program areas at our Clubhouse or our school sites unless they are accompanied by a staff member or a member of our Board of Directors

— Our professional staff and volunteers are all trained on safety practices and readily visible with identification badges

— Recent upgrades to our facility that have dramatically improved security and safety including video surveillance, secure entrances and improved sight lines

— Our organization has a dedicated safety committee that meets monthly to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Additionally, an annual safety assessment is is conducted to ensure we are continually making improvements to safety at our Club.

Safety Policies: James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn has comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth – including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication and prohibiting private one-on-one contact.

James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club – Child Abuse Prevention Policy

James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club – Facility & Supervision Policies

James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club – Video Surveillance Policy

James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn – Locker Room Policy

James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club – Youth Workers Policy

James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club – Screening & Onboarding Policy

James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club – Technology Acceptable Use Policy

James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn – Incident Reporting Policy

Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory criminal background checks are required every year for every staff member and each member of our Board of Directors. Volunteers who have direct contact with our members are also required annually to undergo background checks. Background checks are conducted through Veriscreen Background Screening and the MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) system.

Required Immediate Reporting: James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn 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. Training for mandated reporters if provided to all Club staff members on an annual basis.

Safety Trainings: Ongoing training and supervision of staff is critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety trainings conducted such as workshops, policy review, distance learning courses and more. Nationally, Boys & Girls Clubs of America engages 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.

Our 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 James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn. For questions or concerns regarding our Club’s safety policies and actions, please contact Executive Director Julie Gage at 781-935-3777 x202 or j.gage@bgcwoburn.org.