TO SUPPORT YOUNG KIDS FOUNDATION’S CHILD PROTECTION 

POLICY STATEMENT:

All children have the right to safety and protection. This foundation, through its employees, volunteers,       delegates, and partners, is in contact with children across Nigeria, in a variety of ways and a wide range of settings. The best interest of the child is essential to all the work we do at To Support Young Kids Foundation (TSYKF).

TSYK Foundation is dedicated to taking the necessary steps to ensure that its personnel, in Nigeria and internationally, are made fully aware of and understand the importance of ensuring child protection.

It is incumbent upon all TSYK Foundation’s employees, volunteers, delegates, and partners not to condone or tolerate behaviors which constitute any type of violence against children. The onus is upon all individuals to prevent violence against children by discouraging inappropriate activities and addressing and reporting all incidents, including when such incidents may be caused by third parties (i.e. suppliers).

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this policy is to protect children by defining what constitutes violence, identifying situations that can lead to violence against children and providing direction for reporting when any of these types of violence are directly known or reasonably believed.

SCOPE:

This policy applies to all TSYK Foundation’s employees, volunteers, delegates, and partners whose contracts would require them to have contact with children.

DEFINITIONS:

Child – For this policy, any human being under the age of 19 years.

Child protection – all responsibilities and activities undertaken to prevent or stop violence against children.

Violence Against Children – any acts of omission or commission that cause physical and/or emotional harm to a child. Types of violence against children are:

Child abuse – any form of physical, emotional and/or sexual mistreatment or lack of care that could cause physical injury or emotional damage to a child, whether done in person or using technology (including but not limited to computers, the Internet, cell phones, cameras, web cameras and other media).

FORMS OF CHILD ABUSE:

• Physical abuse of a child – occurs when a person physically hurts or threatens to hurt a child, or by any means deliberately creates a significant risk of physical hurt to a child.
• Emotional abuse of a child – occurs when a person repeatedly or severely attacks a child’s self-esteem through the use of language, gestures or other behavior that is degrading, isolating, humiliating, terrorizing, rejecting, or corrupting, or that ignores a child’s need for basic emotional care, or where a person by any means deliberately creates a significant risk of emotional harm to a child.
• Child sexual abuse – occurs when a child is used by an older or more powerful child or adult for sexual stimulation or gratification. It can involve contact or non-contact, (see definition of child exploitation below), and includes the development of sexual relationships with children not condoned under local or Canadian law, or using language, gestures or other behaviors that are sexual with children.
• Child neglect – inattention to the basic necessities of life such as shelter, education, medical care, supervision, safe environments, and clothing, and includes acts or omissions that deny a child basic necessities that are the responsibility of the Society to provide in any given situation.

CHILD EXPLOITATION INCLUDES:

The actual or attempted abuse of a position of authority, differential power, or trust  in relation to a child, to profit sexually, monetarily, socially or politically from the use of the child; intentionally viewing, downloading or distributing any sexualized, demeaning or violent images involving children. 

OR

Taking a photograph or other image of a child or making representations of a child in a way that can reasonably be interpreted as sexualized, demeaning, or violent.

Bullying and harassment of a child – occurs when a person’s behavior is insulting, intimidating, humiliating, malicious, degrading, or offensive to a child, potentially including the misuse of the power of position. The behaviors can occur directly (in person) or indirectly (using technology or through other messages) and undermine the child’s right to dignity. Harassment occurs when these types of behaviors are based on discrimination such as against age, sexual orientation, gender, family status, disability, race, colour, ethnicity, religion, marital status, etc., as defined in federal and provincial/territorial human rights legislation.

PROCEDURE AND APPLICATION:

Obligations:

This policy is a reminder to all individuals of their obligation to uphold the Child Rights Act, 2003 and Fundamental Principles, and to adhere to policies and procedures aimed at promoting 

the highest level of care for children.

Employees, Volunteers, Delegates, and Partners are responsible for:

• Becoming familiar with this policy and the process to follow for dealing with known or reasonably believed situations of violence against children.
• Cooperating with any efforts to investigate matters arising under this policy.
• Taking reasonable measures to ensure the safety of the children with whom they work.
• Not engaging in or contributing to violence against children in any way.
• Taking all reasonable measures to avoid, in the course of their duties for Society, spending time alone with a child in isolation, away from the observation of others, unless specifically authorized by an immediate superior or in circumstances where the safety of the client is at risk and immediate contact is demonstrated to be in the best interests of the child.
• Publishing or presenting, electronically or otherwise, a child’s personal information, images, or location, or exchanging such information through an electronic social networking facility, only where it reasonably supports the needs of a program, and when signed permission has been given by the legal guardian, and without posing a risk to the safety of the child. 

Supervisors are responsible for:

• Ensuring their employees, volunteers, delegates, and partners are aware of their personal legal obligations to immediately report a known or reasonably believed situation of child abuse according to provincial/territorial child protection legislation.
• Ensuring their employees, volunteers, delegates, and partners are aware of the process to follow for known or reasonably believed bullying and harassment of a child.
• Implementing this policy, under the direction of the applicable member of the organization or designate, in consultation with human resources.
• Cooperating with any efforts to investigate matters arising under this policy.

Human Resources is responsible for:

• Ensuring all employees, volunteers, delegates, and partners read and formally acknowledge the contents, processes, and procedures of this policy and annexes.
• Ensuring appropriate next steps are taken from an organizational standpoint once known or reasonably believed acts of violence against a child have been reported and addressed.

REPORTING CHILD ABUSE WITHIN NIGERIA:

Further to the Child Rights Act, employees, volunteers, delegates, and partners must be aware of their personal legal obligations to immediately report any direct knowledge or reasonable belief of past or present incidents of child abuse to child protection services and/or the police according to legislation. The following steps must be taken:

• Report the direct or suspected child abuse according to provincial/territorial child protection legislation instructions.
• In writing, report the incident to the supervisor and/or Human Resources.
• Potential breaches of the act must also be reported at this time.

ADDRESSING BULLYING AND HARASSMENT OF A CHILD:

In the case that an employee, volunteer, delegate, or partner possesses direct knowledge or reasonable belief of bullying and harassment of a child, s/he must take the following steps:

• Stop the inappropriate behavior and protect the targeted child while hearing both sides. 
• Report the bullying and harassment incident to the parents or caregivers and where it applies, to the school or organization in charge of the safety of the child.
• Notify her/his supervisor and/or Human Resources for appropriate next steps. Potential breaches must also be reported at this time.
• Where there exists reasonable doubt as to whether the incident constitutes child abuse versus bullying and harassment of a child, report the incident to a supervisor or HR.

CONFIDENTIALITY:

Reports of violence against children should be sent and received confidentially. 

BREACH OF POLICY:

If an employee, volunteer, delegate, or partner fails to report a known or reasonably believed situation of violence against a child, s/he may be subject to 

immediate disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or engagement with the Society.

Intentionally accusing someone of any type of violence against a child, known 

to be false, is a serious offence and is subject to disciplinary action. TSYK Foundation reserves the right to discipline those whose reports or complaints are frivolous or vexatious.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

All individuals within the TSYK Foundation have the responsibility to apply the Fundamental Principles and follow their legal obligations in ensuring and protecting the health and well-being of all children associated with the foundation. The best interests of the child will drive all decisions and actions.

The founder, Human Resources and Volunteers of TSYK Foundation are responsible for advising stakeholders, maintaining, monitoring, and revising this policy, and ensuring the maintenance of a confidential record of violence against children as required, in consultation with the General Counsel or designate.

Members of the Executive Management Committee (EMC) are responsible for applying and implementing this policy in each of their respective areas.

INQUIRIES:

Questions regarding the application or interpretation of this policy are to be referred to Human Resources.

REFERENCES:

Child Rights Act, 2003.

I have read and understood The Child Rights Act, 2003 and agree to abide by the policy and procedures as stated within.

(Print name)       (Print witness’s name)

(Signature)       (Witness’s signature)

(Date)       (Date)