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Club & Child Safety

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COVID19 Safety Protocols

Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club programs follow Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of the COVID19 Virus.

Daily implementation of the following protocols are part of our efforts to maintain a safe environment for children, teens and staff:

  • Temperature Checks at Arrival and Departure
  • Safety Symptom Check
  • Social Distancing when possible
  • Masks Required
  • Hand Washing and Hand Sanitizing Stations
  • Individual Supply Kits offered

At Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club, Child Safety is Job No. 1

 

Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of the Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club.

 

The Safety and Wellbeing of Young People is Our Number One Priority

We work every day to create a safe, inclusive and fun environment so kids can have every opportunity to be successful in life. We have no tolerance for inappropriate behavior of any kind, including child sexual abuse or misconduct, and we put resources behind that stance.

Culture of Safety: Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club continually updates robust safety policies, programs and training for staff and volunteers to promote child safety and protect young people from threats in our society. These resources include but are not limited to:

  • Weekly staff meetings address safety
  • A Positive Behavior Support approach to working with you, including a hierarchy of intervention strategies to support positive, safe behavior and address negative or unsafe behaviors
  • Referrals to mental health and family support services
  • Formal check in and out procedures with a no “Ins & Outs” policy
  • Safe Transport- providing transportation from area schools to the Club
  • Policies regarding communication with Members require correspondence to always involve 3 parties, whether that be 1 Member and 2 Staff Members, or 2+ Members and 1 Staff Member.  One on one contact is prohibited.

Safety Policies: Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club maintains comprehensive safety policies that protect youth, including but not limited to policies on supervision, transportation, communication and prohibition of 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, Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club members and staff have access to a confidential 24-hour toll-free Child Safety Hotline at 866-607-SAFE (7233) or SafeClub@Praesidiuminc.com.

Mandatory Background Checks: Mandatory criminal background checks are required upon hire and annually for every staff and board member at Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club In addition, criminal background checks are required for any volunteer who has direct, repetitive contact with children. All potential employees and volunteers are run through DOJ Livescan criminal background check system.

Required Immediate Reporting: Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club staff and volunteers are all mandated reporters and 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 employ a multi-tiered safety assessment approach  to ensure we continually make improvements to safety at Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club.

Safety Trainings: Ongoing training and supervision of staff are critical. We participate in a wide variety of child safety training through online courses, seminars, conferences, webinars, local trainings and meetings. 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: Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club has a dedicated Board-led Safety Committee to provide input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. Priorities and initiatives include:

  • Bi-Annual multi-tiered walk thru assessments
  • Resource development, guidance and support for continuous improvement in facility and child safety

Mandatory Employee Reference: Any employee interested in moving to another Boys & Girls Club is required to have a reference from their 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, composed of local Club leaders who provide input on 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, Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club partners with:

  • Los Angeles Police Department, Hollenbeck Division
  • Los Angeles Fire Department and Fire Station 1
  • Department of Mental Health and area mental health providers such as Sycamores, VIP Community Mental Health Services, Children’s Hospital, Alma Family Services, Starview Community Services
  • City of Los Angeles GRYD Program for Gang Reduction and Youth Development
  • Lincoln Heights Community Clergy Collaborative, bringing service agencies, government entities, and local clergy together to address gang violence in our community

Continued Commitment: In July 2020, Boys & Girls Club organizations voted to adopt additional safety measures to further improve safety within our Clubs. Though many of these practices were already commonplace across our Movement, this vote made them mandatory for all Clubs. These include more stringent reference and background checks, enhanced Safety Committee requirements, stronger communication of key safety resources and information, and more. With unprecedented majority, on July 26, 2021, local Boys & Girls Clubs voted in record number to adopt additional membership requirements that further enhance child safety, implementing recommendations from RAINN that began in 2020 and will continue over the next two years – a demonstration of our continued commitment to keeping kids safe.

 

Nationally, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has advocated for passage of the U.S. PROTECT Act to improve 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 support 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 Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club.

COVID19:

Updates During the Covid19 Pandemic

Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club has worked to adjust to the evolving needs or our community during the Covid19 pandemic.  Efforts include continuous improvements based on ongoing updates from federal, state, and local health officials and well as needs expressed by families and community members.

SCHOOL YEAR 2021-2022

During the 2021-2022 school year, Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club is offering:

  • After school program services
  • Thanksgiving Break Camp/Winter Camp/Spring Break Camp
  • Transportation from local schools to the Club
  • Sports programming in compliance with LACDPH protocols
  • Weekly food distribution on Thursdays from 4:00-6:00pm

Services are modified and changes may be implemented in order to follow evolving safety protocols to reduce the risks associated with the Covid19 virus.

MAY 2021

The Club is OPEN for in-person services, after school and for summer camp 2021.  Programs begin at the end of the LAUSD school day, beginning as early as 10:30am.

To meet the need of youth going back to in person school, the Club is open for kids being picked up from school from 10:30am-6:30pm.

Services include:

  • Academic support
  • Internet & technology access
  • STEM- Science, Technology, Engineering, Math
  • Art from the Heart
  • Teens Take the Lead
  • Case Management & Mentoring
  • Recreation, sports and wellness activities
  • BASEBALL LEAGUE
    • Play on our Dodgers Dreamfield!
    • Pre-season clinics and practice starting April 2021
    • League Play June 14-August 7
  • Galactic Sports- weekly health and wellness program with a special focus on basketball, provided by the Gasol Foundation
  • Transportation from school to the Club

August 2020-April 2021

  • After School Program with Covid19 safety protocols in place
  • 2:30pm-6:30pm
  • Academic support, homework assistance, tutoring, recreation, art and STEM, case management, mentoring & more

August 2020

  • Outdoor Day Camp
  • Academic enrichment
  • Individual sports
  • Art
  • Recreation
  • STEM
  • Stop-drop-and-Read!
  • Water games
  • Pods
  • Outdoor hand washing stations, hand sanitizer
  • Masks provided to all participants and staff

Club Services ​During the Coronavirus COVID-19 Shutdown

March-July 2020

In the interest of protecting the safety of the children, teens & families we serve, Clubhouse programs were put on hold as of March 16, 2020 in accordance with the City of Los Angeles, State of CA and Federal CDC as well as local LA County Department of Public Health guidelines.   ​Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club monitored the rapidly evolving situation, making adjustments as needed to best comply with safety precautions.
The Club remained open throughout the entire pandemic to provide emergency relief services to the communities of Northeast Los Angeles and any one in need.  Every week staff worked tirelessly to meet the demand for food to help people through the pandemic.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION

    • 400% increase in people coming to the Club for help with food since March 2020-present
    • Food Available for pick up THURSDAYS  4:00-6:00pm (continued during and after the pandemic)
    • Location:  2635 Pasadena Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90031
    • Please call 323-221-9111 for an appointment
    • Please observe social distancing regulations – 6ft apart
    • During the months of April 2020-June 2020 FREE meal delivery to seniors and people disabilities

AT HOME – ACTIVITY KITS for Kids

Kits filled with activities to keep kids learning and giving kids creative outlets while stuck at home.  Our At Home-Activity Kits were designed to meet the needs of underserved children with limited access to the internet, school and art supplies, science equipment, and books at home.

      • New lessons, supplies and instructions distributed weekly, for FREE
      • WEEKLY ALL INCLUSIVE KITs provide:
        • STEM Lessons
          • Engineering projects, science projects, math challenges and technology tips
        • Art Lessons
          • Painting, jewelry making, print making, sculpture, drawing, and other art materials ALL included
        • Wellness Activities
          • Physical fitness, nutrition, sleep, mental health, self care lessons
          • Family board games, frisbees, yoga and dance lessons,
          • Communication skills, COVID19 information and PPE, nutrition and food
    • GIVE $50 to send a BAG of FOOD and an ACTIVITY Kit to a Child in NEED!

GRYD- GANG REDUCTION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT Case Management

    • A strength based, trauma sensitive approach to providing case management services to youth at risk of gang involvement
      • Weekly meetings with youth and case manager
      • Monthly family meetings
      • Goal setting, problem solving, Genograms, tracking, and guidance

 

COMMUNITY RESOURCES:  COVID-19