Boys & Girls Club amends policy after incident: Grandma's letter prompts swift change for safety
NEWS REPUBLIC FILE PHOTO
Sarah Resch, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Baraboo/Sauk County, has fun with club members in this file photo. Following an incident last month, the club's board of directors recently made policy changes to prevent children under 12 from leaving the club unsupervised.
By Tim Damos / News Republic
When grandma talks, the Boys & Girls Club listens. Following a recent incident in which two children — one with a neurological disorder — were allowed to leave the Baraboo club and wander the streets unsupervised, the club’s board of directors made swift policy changes this week. "Anytime there’s a situation, I think it’s prudent to look at what happened and respond appropriately," said Sarah Resch, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Baraboo/Sauk County. "It was an opportunity to look at the policies we have in place and say, ‘Can this be better?’ " The club previously had an open-door policy, allowing all children to sign themselves in and out without a guardian. Resch said staff would question children about what they were doing and where they were going, but the policy allowed them to leave as long as their guardian had checked a box allowing them to do so on membership forms. The open-door policy backfired on June 26, when a 9-year-old boy signed himself out of the club, walked uptown and got a haircut. His 8-year-old sister, who has a disability that makes it difficult for her to understand or express language, left the club shortly thereafter. The girl was located at a used-car lot along 8th Avenue later that afternoon, and both children eventually made it home safe. The incident was detailed in a letter to the editor of the Baraboo News Republic, written by the children’s grandmother, who questioned the policies in place at the club. "I want changes made immediately in the safety policies," wrote grandmother Carolyn Marquardt of Baraboo. "I want parents to check their children in and out daily and/or a note from the parents stating if someone else is allowed to check them out." Her demands did not fall on deaf ears. The Boys & Girls Club board of directors unanimously approved a new "Safe Passage" policy during a meeting Wednesday evening. The new policy was detailed in a press release from Resch. Under the new policy, club members under the age of 12 cannot leave unless they are accompanied by a parent, guardian or other authorized adult. For members over age 12, the open-door policy remains. They may leave unsupervised, but only if their parent or guardian has authorized them to do so on membership forms. However, once they leave, they cannot come back until the following day. When parents pick up club members, they must now come to the front desk, Resch said. And any changes to a child’s plan must be given to club staff in writing. The new policy is to encourage children to stay at the club as long as possible, rather than leave unsupervised, Resch said. Marquardt said she’s thankful the club took swift action responding to her concerns, and she no longer fears for her grandchildren’s safety at the club. "I really thank them from the bottom of my heart," she said in an interview Thursday. "I want to thank Sarah for putting her heart and soul into changing this ... I just didn’t want this to happen with someone else." The 9-year-old boy left because his grandfather on his father’s side had made a haircut appointment for him, Marquardt said. But she said the child’s mother was not informed of that appointment. Apparently, the 8-year-old girl signed herself out of the club because her brother left, Marquardt said. It is unclear how the young girl, who has minimal communication skills, was allowed to leave on her own. And Marquardt said that part of the incident still bothers her. The president of the club’s board of directors, Tina Neuman, said she could not talk specifically about the incident. But she said it was important for the club to respond quickly by reevaluating its policies. "We take the safety of our children very seriously, and hopefully that was demonstrated here," Neuman said. She said the club’s policies are continually re-evaluated and updated.