Safety Policy
The safety of our Club members is the #1 priority. We do mandatory and ongoing background checks on all potential staff and volunteers, each of whom must follow strict policies and procedures. We also offer routine staff training experiences to build a culture of safety. BGCBC employs a zero-tolerance policy for any disregard of our procedures. If any issues or concerns are brought to our attention, we contact the police and Child Protective Services immediately. We incorporate the national BGCA safety standards and work with other community organizations to consistently strengthen our safety programming through new training opportunities. Every day, we work with kids to reinforce their knowledge of self-defense and safety smarts. And we listen closely to make sure that their voices are always heard. If you have any safety-related concerns or questions, please contact your local Club OR our Chief Operations Officer, Kari Fletcher. Additionally, the national organization offers a 24-hour hotline, 1-866-607-SAFE, and has developed a Child Safety Portal.
Ethics Policy
Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton County (BGCBC) requires that all staff members conduct themselves in a manner that exemplifies the highest standards of ethics and propriety. For over 25 years, BGCBC has worked hard to earn the trust of thousands of children, families, donors and community leaders. The practices in our Code of Ethics for Staff and Code of Ethics for Board Members help ensure that this trust continues. Recognizing that it is not possible to address all ways in which ethical issues may arise, the principles in our Code of Ethics are intended as a guide in making sound judgments and decisions on behalf of BGCBC and its mission.
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What are Boys & Girls Clubs all about?Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a national, nonprofit organization which provides programs and services to promote and enhance the development of youth by installing a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. At the Boys & Girls Club of Benton County, we never take a single approach to help kids succeed. It takes caring mentors, such as our trained Club staff. It takes a safe place, like our Clubs that are consistently there for the kids they serve. It takes innovative, quality programs designed to empower youth to excel in school and lead healthy, productive lives. We do whatever it takes to ensure all kids have a great future.
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What does it cost to become a Club member?For our school year program, we charge a one-time membership fee of $60 and then it costs $120 a month. For our summer program, we charge a one-time membership fee of $20 and then it costs $70 a week. *Additional fees may apply for participation in specific programs, such as field trips during our summer program and organized athletics.
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What if I can’t afford the fees?Financial aid is available to prevent cost from being a barrier to participation. Please call us at (479) 273-7187 or email membership@bgcbentoncounty.org for more information.
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Is transportation available from my child’s school to the Club?Yes, for most Club locations. Contact your local Club for information about specific schools.
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What age kids do you serve?We serve youth ages 6-18. To find out more, check out each Club’s page
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How are donations used?Donations create opportunity: → Opportunity for parents to access high-quality, low-cost out of school care, → Opportunity in the form of scholarships for families who need additional support While we do charge an affordable rate for our programs, on average, it costs us about $2,000 per year to serve one child. We rely on donations to fill that funding gap and to keep our services affordable for the over 6,000 youth we serve each year. For children and teens from families in need, we often give financial aid to cover the program fees. [ Donate Today! ]