SAFETY FIRST


Health Protocols
  • ​​Everyone entering a BGCFC facility will be subject to a daily temperature check.
  • Anyone with a temperature over 100.4 (or any symptoms) will be asked to leave

Social Distancing
  • Social distancing will be practiced by all BGCFC staff and members.
  • CDC guidelines for social distancing are being followed.

Face masks
  • All BGCFC staff and members are required to wear face masks at all times (except when eating).

Handwashing
  • All staff and members are to wash their hands for 20 seconds upon entering the building and leaving, before and after eating, returning from playing outside and after using the bathroom.  Hand sanitizer is available and set up in each Club as well.

Cleaning & Sanitation Protocols
  • Staff clean high touch surfaces daily with a CDC recommended cleaner on a regular schedule.
  • Each facility is professionally cleaned every evening.

At Boys & Girls Club of Frederick
​County, Child Safety is Job No. 1


The Safety and Well-being 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 provide significant resources to ensure this priority is achieved.

Culture of Safety: Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County continually updates robust safety policies, programs and training for our staff and volunteers. These policies are designed to promote child safety and protect young people from threats that are present in our society.

Safety Policies: Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County has comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, and communication and prohibiting one-on-one contact with anyone under the age of 18.

24-hour Toll-Free Child Safety Hotline: We require all staff, members and families to report any incident or situation they feel is unsafe. Through our national partnership with Presidium, one of the nation’s leading safety experts, Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour, toll-free Child safety Hotline, 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email [email protected].

Mandatory Background Checks: Conduct criminal background checks every 12 months of all employees, as well as all volunteers who have direct, repetitive contact with children, through the  State of Maryland Criminal Justice Information System-Central Repository. Background checks must also meet Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) membership requirements. 

Required Immediate Reporting: Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County 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 conduct 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 trainings each year. We also engage leading third-party safety experts to provide guidance for our policies and procedures.

Safety Committee: Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies.

State and Local Laws: We comply with federal, state and local safety laws, including those impacting facilities and vehicles.

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 protect every child who is entrusted to our care at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page, here.