Minimum Standards
No governing organization for child protection exists, but there are basic practices that all international nonprofits working with children should adopt. They include a child protection “safeguarding” policy, criminal background checks, and basic staff & volunteer training. In a 2014 survey of international nonprofits, less than half had safeguarding policies or utilized background checks on a regular basis. While 54% did have someone trained in child protection, few had all of their staff and volunteers trained.
The Protection from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (PSEA) Taskforce of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, an advisory group to the United Nations and international aid community formed in 2011, has produced guidelines for organizations and agencies to implement in order to prevent abuse within their organizations. They include:
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Safeguarding Policy
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Code of Conduct
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Training
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Specific Hiring Procedures for staff who work with children
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A Position at the organization specifically assigned to handle abuse & exploitation
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Reporting Mechanisms
All of these should be adopted into Minimum Standards that all international nonprofits working with children have and enforce. These are incorporated into the Child Protection Toolkit to assist organizations with implementation.
The above are "Minimum Standards;" however, Child Protection Toolkit aims to move beyond those and help organizations to adopt and create "Best Practices" and a "Culture of Safety." These Best Practices include:
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Model Release Forms for Image Use (photos, videos, etc.)
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Marketing Policies & Practices
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Ongoing Staff Professional Training on subjects such as positive discipline, activity/classroom management, and child development
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Emergency or Security Plans
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Child Participation in leadership, programming, and policy making
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Training for Children on subjects such as Abuse, Rights, Social Media & Internet Safety, Bullying, and Leadership
CPT is still developing materials around these topics. We invite you to join us in identifying and creating Best Practices. Please contact us to tell us about what works for you and your organization and to partner for creating material for all to use.
