2017 Mid-Year Report

PROGRAM & SAFETY COMMITTEE
Safety is a top priority for any successful youth
development program. Boys & Girls Clubs of
Skagit County prioritizes safety, of all kinds, throughout
our day to day operations. Our Board of Directors
has set some clear expectations regarding this, and
has developed a Program & Safety Committee to
provide additional oversight and resources that will
ensure that we meet those expectations.
In 2017, the Program & Safety Committee, chaired by
Board Member Tina Asp, is well underway with conducting
on-site safety audits and program reviews.
The committee met in the spring to develop an audit
plan, based on data collected in a 2016 parent survey,
as well as from the National Youth Outcomes Initiative
(NYOI), administered by Boys & Girls Clubs of America
annually. Data from the NYOI indicated that our club
members throughout the organization reported to be
within the national average in areas of overall safety,
emotional safety and physical safety.
While we may be on par with the rest of the movement,
there is still plenty of room for improvement.
The Committee, through information collected from
on-site audits, program reviews and community feedback
will develop a priority list of key projects and investments
to be included in the annual budget. This
will help ensure that our Clubs and programs are in full
compliance with safety expectations and will include
any facility improvements, thorough staff screenings
and background checks, and implementation of new
programs or discontinuation of ineffective programs.
Additionally, clubs will be provided with resources and
guidance to make corrections or improvements identified
by the Board of Directors.
Keeping our kids safe, physically and emotionally,
is not only our obligation, but it is essential to quality
programming that produces the best outcomes.
Through this, we continue to advance in being the premier
youth serving organization in Skagit County.
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A safety assessment of the Anacortes Club. L to R: Tina Asp with Manny Smith, Director of Operations, assessing restroom safety, Club members
playing foosball, members of the safety committee assessing the kitchen, Club members playing in the gym.