Child Protection Policy

Introduction

Taveta Children’s Assistance (TCA) is committed to the safety, protection, and nurture of the children within its responsibility and care. We believe it is never acceptable for any child to experience abuse of any kind. Their protection is the responsibility of every adult within TCA. We expect all Directors, staff and volunteers (referred to hereafter as staff) to conduct themselves with the utmost integrity and professionalism at all times. Working together, we can create a safe, positive, and nurturing environment for children, guided by the highest biblical standards of morality, ethics, and prudence.

Policy Summary

Any staff person is responsible to report to the TCA Program Director within 24 hours any actual or suspected abuse, neglect, or inappropriate behavior among staff and/or children, regardless of where it may have occurred and regardless of the perceived seriousness. There should be no attempt by staff to handle the situation privately or to enter into a private agreement with the offending individual or reporting child.

Definitions of Abuse

TCA does not tolerate child abuse or neglect. TCA staff must remember that all children have basic human rights. We firmly believe that, as all staff get to understand an organization-wide definition of child abuse, we will best serve in preventing child abuse.

Child Abuse

Child abuse is the treatment of a child under the age of 18 that endangers the health or welfare of that child, often in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust, or power.

Child-to-Child Abuse

Should both the victim and the alleged offender be under the age of 18, it will typically be considered abuse if there are more than three years difference (1095 days or more) between the children or there is a difference in responsibility, trust or power between them. If there is less than three years age difference and there is not a significant difference in responsibility, trust, or power between them, what would normally be defined as abuse will be considered inappropriate behavior. An action plan will be put in place to address this behavior and its cause. Because of these and other variables, child-to-child cases will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Child-to-child abuse includes all types of abuse defined below.

Types of Abuse

1. Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is the involvement of a child in sexual activity with an adult or another child (as defined above) that includes:
  • Verbal: Remarks that include sexual threats, innuendos, solicitation, sexually explicit language (whether in person, on the telephone, via text messaging or on the Internet); inappropriate comments about a person’s body or appearance; or any verbal expression with the intent to arouse or stimulate.
  • Visual: Indecent exposure; viewing, showing or taking of suggestive or pornographic pictures or films; showing a child pornographic material, unclothed persons, or any sexual activity; or simulated sexual activity such as masturbation or intercourse; peeping or staring.
  • Physical Touching: Physical contact (or penetration by penis, fingers, or any other body part or object) with a child’s clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or in the case of a female, breast, or causing a child to perform any of these acts; masturbation in front of or to the victim; rubbing, holding, or kissing for the purpose of sexual gratification.

2. Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is any act that results in a non-accidental physical injury. Such acts may include, but are not limited to: slapping, punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, burning, holding under water, pulling hair, or holding against one’s will; or excessive physical discipline.

3. Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior over time that impairs or risks impairing a child’s normal functioning in the areas of physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. It includes acts such as unreasonable restriction of movement, patterns of belittling, ridiculing, screaming, threatening, scaring, humiliating, scapegoating, blaming, name calling, intimidating, using jokes as put-downs, sarcasm, discriminating, bullying or other non-physical forms of hostile or rejecting treatment.

4. Neglect

Neglect is the failure to provide the child with basic needs of food, clothing, warmth and shelter, emergency medical care, and cleanliness, when under temporary care during normal hours of TCA assistance and recreational programming.

Spiritual abuse is not included as a separate type of abuse. Spiritually abusive behavior involves the following: misusing Scripture to control or manipulate a child, misusing Scripture to protect the offender, or misusing Scripture to manage the child for the convenience of the adult. The misuse of Scripture is evident in most cases of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

If an internal investigation identifies behaviors that do not meet TCA’s definition of abuse, but do constitute behaviors that are harmful to children, an outcome of inappropriate behavior will be reached, with an appropriate action plan put in place to provide accountability, mentoring, and counseling to overcome both the behavior and its causes.

Staff and Volunteer Screening

Whether or not the TCA staff person’s role includes working with children, he or she will be carefully screened prior to beginning with TCA. This screening will include a careful application process.

Code of Conduct for Those Who Work with Children

The welfare and safety of children are important to TCA. This includes valuing them, regarding them positively, and treating them with respect and care at all times. Adult staff assume the full burden of maintaining clear, appropriate boundaries in all interaction with children.

All staff who have roles with children are expected to interact with children in a mature, capable, safe, caring, and responsible manner, with a high level of accountability. This Code of Conduct includes the following expectations of staff.

Visibility

All work with children shall be planned in a way that minimizes risk of abuse as far as possible. This includes being visible to other adults when working with children. This can be accomplished by planning activities in areas where other adults are present and at a time when other activities are occurring. It can also be accomplished by installing windows in all classrooms and other rooms occupied by children or keeping doors open.

Overcoming Isolation

At least two adults shall be present in work with children. When this is not possible, reduce isolation by having a minimum of two children present, informing the child’s parents of your meeting, and doing it during a time and/or in a location where your interaction with the child is visible to others. Isolation could be overcome, for example, by taking two or more children to the bathroom together rather than only one, dropping off siblings last when driving children home following an event, or taking your own child or spouse along when providing rides, or having two or more children over to your home. We expect an adequate number of adults to supervise youth events, especially overnight activities.

Accountability

When ministry to a child involves one-on-one contact, the following procedures shall be followed by staff, as applicable.

  • Always be accountable to other adults regarding your interactions with youth or children.
  • Counseling or other necessarily confidential meetings with children shall be done when another adult is in close vicinity, aware that the meeting is occurring, and willing to stay in the vicinity until it is completed.
  • Parents and/or supervisors are to be notified beforehand of any private activities with youth or children. For example,
    • Before transporting a youth or child.
    • Keeping a child after a program activity.
    • When tutoring a child or youth.
    • In an emergency situation, find someone to go with you if at all possible, or notify whoever is available.

Supervision

Proper supervision reduces risk. Program administrators shall periodically and randomly inspect classrooms, offices, work areas and other areas when children and adults are together.

Touch

Because healthy, caring touch is valuable to children, but unhealthy touch is abusive, the following guidelines apply.

  • Touch shall be open for all to see, rather than secretive. A hug in the context of a group is very different from a hug behind closed doors.
  • Touch should be in response to the need of the child, and not the need of the adult.
  • Touch should be age appropriate and generally initiated by the child rather than the adult. It should be with the child’s permission and any resistance from the child should be respected.
  • Touch should always communicate respect for the child. Adults should avoid doing things of a personal nature for children that they are able to do for themselves, including dressing, bathing, etc.

Adults and other youth or children should not hit, slap, pinch, push, hold against their will, or otherwise assault children.

The following signs of affection are generally appropriate within specific contexts: verbal praise, side hugs, shoulder to shoulder hugs, pats on the shoulder, back, or head (when culturally appropriate). For smaller children, touching their hands, faces, shoulders and arms, arms above their shoulders, hugs or holding them when others are present.

The following behaviors between staff and children are inappropriate or may be perceived as inappropriate and shall not be engaged in: touching buttocks, chests, genital areas or thighs; showing affection in isolated areas or when alone with a child; sleeping in bed with a child; inappropriate comments that relate to physique or body development; flirtations or seductive looks; any form of affection that is unwanted by the child, showing sexually-suggestive images or media or playing sexually-suggestive games with any child; any behavior that could be interpreted as sexual in nature.

Staff members shall monitor each other in the areas of physical contact, helping each other by pointing out anything that could be interpreted as sexual in nature.

Verbal Interaction

Words can be used to support and encourage a child, such as praise, positive reinforcement, and appropriate jokes. Inappropriate verbal interaction includes the following: shaming, belittling, humiliating, name calling, using harsh language that may frighten, threaten or humiliate the child, cursing, or making derogatory remarks about the child. Adults shall avoid favoring or showing deferential treatment to particular children or youth at the exclusion of others.

Inappropriate verbal interaction also includes telling sexual jokes, making sexually suggestive comments, telling inappropriate secrets, or inappropriate discussing sexual encounters or desires with children.

Procedure for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse

1. It is the responsibility of any staff member who sees, suspects, or is told of abuse to report it immediately to the TCA Program Director, regardless of where it may have occurred and regardless of the perceived seriousness of the situation. This is to be followed by a written report (using form attached) within 24 hours. There shall be no attempt on the part of the Staff member to handle the situation privately.

2. The response and reporting process shall cultivate a climate of belief, (i.e., that abuse could have taken place) while maintaining a neutral stance toward the alleged offender.

3. The first priority shall be to ensure the safety and care of the child involved and any other children that may be at risk. TCA may place the alleged offender on administrative leave and/or may prohibit access to children.

4. The TCA Program Director will establish support and accountability for victims, the alleged offender, the reporter of abuse, and their families. This may include specialized counseling.

5. TCA will inform relevant civil authorities regarding child abuse and/or neglect as required by law.

Child Abuse Reporting Form

Please fill this form out with only the information that is known at the time a report is received, without interviewing the victim(s) and/or alleged offender(s). It is understood that there will be blanks or missing information and that is okay. Please do provide support, care and safety to the victim(s), the alleged offender(s) and their families. Once filled out and sent to the TCA General Director, please wait for further instructions.

This report should be completed for every alleged abuse or neglect report no matter how minor, how preliminary, and even if the offender is a minor. It is to be submitted to the TCA General Director within 24 hours.