The Safety and Wellbeing of Young People is Our Number One Priority
While open, the Club will be implementing several strict COVID 19 policies and procedures to keep students and staff safe. Some changes based on updated policies:
Parents will not be allowed to enter the building masked. Parents will drop-off members curbside. Staff will sign your child each day.
Members cleared will sanitize their hands upon entering the building.
Each member will be escorted with social distancing to their designated space.
Campers are limited to bringing only their lunch box. Nap sheets will be taken home daily to be laundered.
Ultra Violet Disinfectant Lamps will be used while the building is not in use to kill bacteria and viruses in the air. Learn more: http://uvd.services/
Each nap mat is labeled and designated to each child. Nap mats will be sanitized daily.
Members and staff will be assigned to a room and remain there, except for scheduled bathroom breaks and outside play. We will have each room set up to include similar daily activities. Supplies are restricted to their group only. We will not be sharing supplies between groups.
Groups are limited to a 1 to 15 ratio.
Bathroom breaks will be scheduled and sanitized after each visit.
Meals will be scheduled and limited to their designated room. Your child must bring all snacks, drinks and lunch with them each day.
Each room will be thoroughly sanitized each night. Common areas of the room will be sanitized throughout the day based on usage and student traffic.
Members will be brought out to a parent’s car when they arrive for pick up. Staff will identify the appropriate persons authorized to pick up and sign off they are cleared. Please try to have the same person pick up as much as possible to ease the pickup procedure.
Member payments can be made over the phone, via email or with communication envelopes available at curbside stations.
All staff is available via email using the contacts on our Administrative Contact Page.
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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: Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest New Jersey 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 policies and guidelines to keep our kids safe including:
• Requiring all staff and volunteers to pass background checks yearly
• Cameras in all Clubhouses
• Maintaining state licensing
Safety Policies: Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest New Jersey has comprehensive safety policies in place that protect youth--including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication and prohibiting private one-on-one contact.
24-hour Toll-free Child Safety Hotline: We encourage all staff, 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 Clubs of Northwest New Jersey 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 Clubs of Northwest New Jersey. In addition, criminal background checks are required for any volunteer who has direct contact with children. All potential employees and volunteers are also run through the National Sex Offender Registry & First Advantage Background Check
Required Immediate Reporting: Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest New Jersey 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 complete 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 training conducted such as seminars, conferences, and webinars. We also engage 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.
Safety Committee: Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest New Jersey has a dedicated safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:
• Upgrading all cameras to HD
• Finalizing Internet and Security Policies
• Safety Assessment from local Police Departments
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.
State and Local Laws: We comply with federal, state and local safety laws, including those impacting facilities and vehicles.
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 Northwest New Jersey works with:
• Wayne Police Department
• Pequannock Police Department
• NJ Department of State Licensing
Nationally, 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 Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest New Jersey. To learn more about our national safety policies and actions, please visit Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety page, here.
