Safe Kids. Safe Clubs. Strong Communities.

At Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass, the physical and emotional safety of every young person we serve is our highest priority.

A great Club experience starts with a safe environment. That means strong policies, trained staff, clear supervision, careful screening, open communication and a culture where concerns are taken seriously and acted upon.

Safety is not one policy or one person's responsibility. It is built into how we hire, train, supervise, communicate, transport youth, operate our facilities and respond when concerns arise.

BGCSGP maintains comprehensive safety policies and procedures designed to protect our members, staff and volunteers while creating Club environments where young people can learn, grow and thrive.

Our Layers of Protection

Mandatory Annual Safety Assessments

We complete a safety assessment each year to ensure we continually make improvements to safety at our nine Club locations.

Zero Tolerance for Abuse

Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass maintains a zero-tolerance policy for child abuse, sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior.

Staff and volunteers who work directly and regularly with young people receive required training in child abuse prevention, mandated reporting and grooming prevention before providing services to youth and annually thereafter.

Our responsibility is not only to respond when something happens, but to build a culture that recognizes warning signs, establishes appropriate boundaries and works to prevent abuse before it occurs.

No Private One-on-One Interaction

BGCSGP prohibits private or isolated one-on-one interactions between Club members and staff, volunteers and board members.

Our policy applies to in-person interactions as well as transportation and electronic communication, including texting, video communication and social media. Staff and volunteers may not initiate private or isolated contact with a Club member.

Positive relationships and mentoring are an important part of the Club experience. Those relationships must always take place in ways that protect both youth and adults.

Active Supervision & Safe Facilities

Our Clubs are designed to be active, welcoming spaces where young people can explore, participate and build relationships while remaining appropriately supervised.

Club activities and program spaces are under continuous supervision, appropriate supervision ratios are maintained, and youth staff and volunteers are supervised by adult staff members.

BGCSGP also maintains procedures for monitoring entrances and exits, maintaining clear lines of visibility throughout program spaces, securing areas that are not in use and identifying and addressing facility hazards.

Background Checks & Screening

Safety starts before someone ever works with a young person.

BGCSGP conducts criminal background checks for employees, board volunteers and volunteers who have direct repetitive contact with youth. Screening includes national sex offender registry and criminal record searches. Background checks are completed prior to employment or service and at regular intervals not exceeding 12 months.

Our hiring and onboarding process also includes behavioral-based interviews, reference checks and safety orientation before staff and volunteers begin working with Club members.

Mandatory Reporting & Incident Response

Every member of our team has a responsibility to act when a safety concern arises.

Staff and volunteers are required to immediately report and document safety incidents through Club leadership. BGCSGP follows applicable mandated-reporting laws and reporting requirements, including reporting qualifying critical incidents to Boys & Girls Clubs of America within 24 hours.

We take reports and allegations seriously and cooperate with appropriate external investigations. An internal review is never considered a substitute for required law enforcement or child protective services reporting.

Safe Transportation

Whether young people are traveling to the Club or participating in an off-site experience, safety remains the priority.

BGCSGP transportation procedures include driver screening, youth accountability, vehicle inspections and safeguards designed to prevent private one-on-one transportation.

Drivers maintain updated transportation lists, perform seat-by-seat checks following trips and follow established procedures for pick-up, drop-off and emergency situations. Club members are transported only in approved Club vehicles, and staff may not transport Club members in personal vehicles.

Technology & Digital Safety

Our commitment to safety extends into the digital world.

BGCSGP maintains technology standards for youth, staff and volunteers addressing appropriate device use, online communication, cyberbullying, privacy and digital behavior.

Club members who use Club technology or equipment receive annual digital citizenship and technology safety training. Staff may never use personal devices to communicate directly with a single Club member. Our technology policies reinforce the same boundaries and expectations that apply within our physical Club spaces.

Emergency Preparedness

Being prepared is an important part of keeping our Clubs safe.

BGCSGP maintains an Emergency Operations Plan addressing emergencies including fire, severe weather, lockdowns, bomb threats and suspicious packages. Our plan includes training, drills, reporting procedures and coordination with local first responders.

Our Emergency Operations Plan is reviewed annually with oversight from our Board-led Safety Committee.

Safety Is Everyone's Responsibility

From Youth Development Professionals and Site Managers to drivers, administrative staff, executive leadership and our Board of Directors, protecting young people is everyone's responsibility.

Every member of our team is expected to understand and follow our safety policies, recognize potential concerns, maintain appropriate boundaries, report incidents and speak up when something does not feel right.

We believe a strong culture of safety means people don't assume someone else will handle it.

We all have a role in keeping kids safe.

Safety Starts Before Day One

SCREEN  →  TRAIN  →  SUPERVISE  →  REPORT  →  REVIEW  →  IMPROVE

Our approach to safety begins before an employee or volunteer works with youth and continues throughout their service with BGCSGP.

Screening and background checks help us make thoughtful hiring decisions. Training gives our team the tools to recognize and respond to concerns. Active supervision and clear boundaries help prevent unsafe situations. Reporting procedures ensure concerns are elevated appropriately. Ongoing review helps us identify opportunities to strengthen our practices.

Safety isn't something we complete once. It is an ongoing commitment.

Board-Led Safety Committee

Safety extends all the way to the governance level of our organization.

BGCSGP maintains a Board-led Safety Committee that regularly focuses on safety and provides oversight of our Emergency Operations Plan, including annual review and updates.

Our ongoing safety work includes:

·         Policy and procedure review

·         Facility and site safety

·         Staff training

·         Emergency preparedness

·         Incident review and prevention

·         Safety assessments

·         Continuous improvement

Our goal is not simply to meet safety requirements. We want to continually strengthen the systems that protect the young people entrusted to our care.

When Something Doesn't Feel Right

We Want to Hear From You

Parents, guardians, youth, staff, volunteers and community members are encouraged to speak up about safety concerns.

If you see something, hear something or experience something that concerns you, please tell us. Safety concerns are taken seriously and should be reported promptly.

Contact Your Site Manager

For questions or concerns involving your child's Club location, please speak directly with the Site Manager.

Contact BGCSGP Leadership

Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass
240 W. Ramsey Street
Banning, CA 92220
951-922-3259

Immediate Danger

If a child or another individual is in immediate danger, call 911.

BGCA Child Safety Helpline

866-607-SAFE (7233)
SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com

Our Commitment

Every day, families trust Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Gorgonio Pass with something incredibly important—their children.

We do not take that responsibility lightly.

Our commitment is to create environments where young people are safe, supported and surrounded by adults who understand that protecting youth comes before everything else.

We continually evaluate our practices, train our team, strengthen our procedures and look for ways to improve how we protect and support the young people we serve.

Because when young people feel safe, they are free to learn, build relationships, try new things, discover who they are and reach their full potential.

Safety isn't simply a policy at BGCSGP. It is part of how we operate every day.