Statement to our Community
October 2, 2023
Since its founding in 1910, Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich has faithfully served the youth in our community who need a champion in their corner. Thousands of children have spent their formative years at our Club and refer to the Club as their “home away from home,” even decades later.
The Club is strong. The Club is thriving. The Club works every day to create a safe, positive and inclusive environment, so the almost 2,000 kids we serve each year are provided with every opportunity to be successful in life. We remain confident about the Club’s future, just as we are confident about the future of the children it serves.
Ultimately, safety is not one thing; it is everything. Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich has layers of safety policies and guidelines to keep our kids safe and ensure that they feel safe — including, but not limited to, supervision, transportation, communication, and prohibiting private one-on-one contact. Some of the safety measures, which are continuously reviewed that are currently in place at the Club's satellite location's during renovation include:
- Mandatory criminal background checks are required annually for every Staff and Board member at the Club and any volunteer who has direct contact with children.
- On-site Director of Safety who had a 29-year career with State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families as an Adolescent Specialist and High-Risk Investigator.
- A dedicated Board-led safety committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies, including regular staff training and required immediate reporting to local authorities of any critical incident and/or safety concern.
- Installation of security cameras strategically placed throughout the Clubhouse and satellite locations.
- Use of authorized pick-up lists for all members as well as visitor sign-in/sign-out logs.
- A 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline is also available to all staff, Club members, and families to report any incident and situation they feel is unsafe.
- A Master’s level social worker to assist staff, youth, and their families with issues that arise that impact the health and well-being of our members.
The Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich has enjoyed broad community support for the last 110 years because our mission is critical to the continued health and well-being of the Town of Greenwich. Our commitment to our Club members, their families, and the respective communities they serve is unwavering. We look forward to preparing young people, through enrichment opportunities and supportive relationships, to be responsible, caring, and productive community members.
For more information about our Club programs and policies, please visit www.bgcg.org.
