Keeping Youth Safe is a Club Priority

At Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County, there is no greater priority than the safety of our youth members. We work every day to create a safe, fun environment, so kids can have every opportunity to be successful in life.

We do not tolerate inappropriate behavior of any kind, including child sexual abuse or misconduct. From strict adherence to policies and guidelines within Club facilities and staffing structure, to equipping young people with the critical thinking and social-emotional skills to make healthy, safe choices, ensuring Club members are safe is the first step to their success.

For the nearly 3,000 young people who enter the doors of our six Thurston County Clubs each day, the space and youth development professional at our Clubs offer safe, inclusive spaces and experiences that empower members’ learning and growth. 

BGCTC Policies Ensuring Youth Safety

The following policies mitigate the risk of child abuse at our Thurston County Boys & Girls Clubs:

1. All staff  must go through background checks upon hire as well as annually while employed at Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County.
2. References checks are required and completed at hire. If previously employed at a Boys & Girls Club, reference checks are required. 
3. Drug testing is required of all staff as a pre-employment requirement; random drug testing of staff also occur. 
4. Inside the Clubs two (2) adult staff are required at all times and at no time should a staff member be in a room alone with a member without being in view of others. If a member wants to stay behind to talk or help a staff member clean up, another member must also be present. 
5. It is a staff member’s responsibility to maintain a professional relationship with members. Staff may NOT have contact with members outside of approved club activities for any reason, including babysitting, sharing or communicating via email , phone, or through social networking.  
6. At Clubs without a Staff Only Restroom, the restoom must first be cleared of any children prior to an adult using the facilties. Clearing the restroom must be completed for use by staff, volunteers, and parents of Club members. At Clubs with a Staff Only Restroom, adults must only use this restroom and youth are not allowed to use it. 
7. All members using restrooms must be given a bathroom pass from a staff member. If there are fewer than 10 members in the building, only one member at a time can use the restroom.
8. Staff members have been added to monitor the entrance to restrooms during our peak hours of operations.
9. All  Club staff receive training on Child Safety through Praesidium.