At Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens, Child Safety is always our number one priority.

Ensuring child safety is fundamental to the mission of Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens.

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 this commitment.

Culture of Safety

Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens continually updates robust safety policies, programs, training and supervisory practices 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 multiple layers of protection to keep our kids safe including: 

  • Background checks on all employees, volunteers, and Board Members

  • Staff training in positive Club culture, inclusivity, and safety policies and procedures

  • CPR and First Aid training to all staff

  • Regular monitoring by agencies including the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC Department of Education, NYS Office of Children and Family Services, and NYS Department of Health

Safety Policies

Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens 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

Through our national partnership with Praesidium, one of the nation’s leading safety experts, Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens families, 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 for all staff are required upon hire, and at least annually thereafter at Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens. 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.  

Required Immediate Reporting

Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens  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

Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens completes a safety assessment each year to ensure we continually make improvements to safety at our Clubs.

Safety Trainings

Ongoing training and supervision of staff and volunteers is critical. Both staff and volunteers participate in a wide variety of child safety training on a continuous basis, such as CPR and First Aid training, webinars, and annual safety trainings. 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

Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens has a dedicated safety committee to provide oversight, input and guidance on local policies and safety strategies. 

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. 

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, 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 

Locally, Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens partners with: 

  • New York Police Department 114th Precinct

  • New York Fire Department

  • New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Continued Commitment

In July, 2020, all local Boys & Girls Clubs voted to adopt additional safety measures to further improve safety within our Clubs. Many of these practices were already in place, however, Boys & Girls Clubs determined these practices should be mandatory for all Clubs. These measures include more stringent reference and background checks, enhanced Club Safety Committee requirements for all Clubs, greater communication of key safety resources and information available for staff and members, and more.   

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