Culture of Safety

commitment to safety flyer

At Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County,

Child Safety is Priority Number 1


Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County

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 and we put resources behind that stance. 


Culture of Safety Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County 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.


TOLL-FREE CHILD SAFETY HELPLINE: Through our partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation’s leading safety experts, Boys & Girls Clubs of America provides a confidential, toll-free Child Safety Helpline to all current or previous Club staff, members or families to report any incident or situation in which they feel unsafe. To access the Child Safety Helpline, call 866-607-SAFE (7233) or email SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com.

DCF's Early Learning Florida Health and Safety modules which include:

Child Safety and Prevention

Health and Sanitation

Planning for Emergencies 

Precautions in Transporting Children

Preventing Child Abuse and Supporting Children in Trauma

Safety in the Environment 

Supporting the Social and Emotional Development of Children in Mixed-Age Groupings
  • Safety Policies

    Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin 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.

  • 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 Martin 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 Clubs of Martin County. 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 or Name of Provider].

  • Required Immediate Reporting

    Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin 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 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, webinars, and a semi-annual safety symposium]. 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.

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