Child Protection Policy

In order to promote well-being of children and prevent any kind of harm to them, we encourage certain behaviours and actions from all employees or associates:

• Practice good behaviour which creates a safe and child-friendly environment
• Ensure children's well-being and physical safety
• Exhibit love and respect towards children
• Appreciate, inspire and motivate children for their efforts
• Support children in their learning and in any aspect of their lives
• Respect everyone's opinions and especially respect children
• Obey law of the land and respect the local cultures and norms; bring to notice of the Safeguarding team any such traditions/practices that harm children/vulnerable adults
• Ensure safe commute or transportation for children (with parents or responsible adult)
• Follow protocol for responding to emergencies or risks
• Take the consent of children and/or parents or caregivers/legal guardians for taking their pictures or information of personal nature by informing them correctly about the purpose and intended use of the same

There are certain behaviors or actions that can cause harm to children or vulnerable adults. We consider these behaviors or actions as violation of the safeguarding policy:

• Abuse (mental, physical, social, sexual, verbal or psychological) children
• Hide critical information (e.g. allergies, disability and other issues) related to children with persons responsible for taking care of them/responsible for their well-being
• Ask children or their parents for a bribe/favour of a financial or non-financial nature for extending services for children
• Allow unauthorised persons in the centre especially during children's presence
• Hide or manipulate reports of child abuse/neglect
• Misuse the power vested in your position to manipulate or harm children
• Promote child labour in any form
• Involve children for personal work/interest
• Involve children in activities that can put them at physical/mental risks
• Exhibit inappropriate behaviour like touching children, displaying inappropriate content on mobile phones, using foul language or exhibiting violent/aggressive behaviour or such behaviour which is sexually indicative
• Be complicit in abuse of children
• Discriminate on the basis of sex, colour, age, race, religion, physical/mental ability or compare children with others
• Ignore children's opinions, suggestions or concerns
• Lie to children or make false promises
• Involve children for political gains/interest
• Engage children in substance abuse or drug dealings
• Engage in or promote child marriage (18 years for girls and 21 years for boys)
• Take photos/videos without consent
• Engage children in pornography, or access/store the same in children's presence
• Violate confidentiality
• Insist/force children to attend class/activities in extreme weather
• Promote nepotism and/or favouritism

• Ensure proper discipline in the class
• Mark attendance on regular basis so that regular and occasional children are always noticed
• Make children sit in rotational way so that no child abuses or bullies another child
• Make children sit in proper way with back erect and not in half lying down or sitting with the support of another child, or making smaller children sit in the lap of bigger children
• Door of the class should not be closed if the teacher is not present
• Make sure that all children are properly dressed - half naked children, or children wearing just underwear, or children in torn clothes are not to be allowed in class. If children come in any of the above conditions, then teacher may ask the child to go back, but the parent should be informed
• Children to be sent to toilets one by one or two at a time for bigger children
• Surprise checking of toilets to be done if we have closed toilets available for children
• Check that the same number of children are going back as many had come in the morning
• No unauthorised person should be allowed when children are present
• Visitors have to sign a declaration that they understand the responsibility towards children's safety
• Visitors are not allowed to take individual child's photographs
• Photographs of children have to be taken with their parent's consent
• Teacher shall not leave until all children have left
• Teacher shall lock the door and keep the keys securely
• In no case shall the teacher leave and ask children to lock the premises
• A notice informing about holiday has to be put outside for all holidays other than Sundays
• Posters about child safety to be displayed in all centers

• Child safety has to be mandatory part of each Parent-Teacher Meeting
• Parents need to be informed every time that we shall not take children anywhere without their consent
• All community leaders need to be identified and called for meetings on safety
• Visits by police once in a month should be requested

• Create an open and safe space
• Keep a sharp eye on any activity indicative of any type of abuse going on like bullying or sexual abuse even if subtle
• Talk to children about all types of abuse - physical, mental, sexual, and emotional, drug abuse and threats of careless use of internet in a friendly and safe environment
• These talks will be held every Tuesday after class
• Convey the message that it is not the child's fault if they are abused
• Teacher has to be mindful of language while talking to children - no discrimination, name calling, assigning of wrong attributes is allowed
• Display posters about safety and child's reaction if they face any abuse
• No judgement for the child - not only the victim but also the child who has allegedly bullied or abused in any way

• Any abnormal behaviour which is different from the child's usual behaviour like excessive quiet, excessive scared, not mixing with children, being absent or spending all time in school
• Even new children can be identified if they are scared or not like other children

• The child's privacy and dignity are of utmost importance - so the matter has to be handled with care
• If a teacher identifies any unusual behaviour of a child, then they have to talk to them privately without creating any dramatic scene
• If the child discloses their issue, then the matter has to be appropriately reported
• The matter has to be reported to the senior teacher immediately
• If it is social, physical and mental abuse with origin in the home then the child's family has to be taken into confidence and counselled for the child's well-being
• Proactive counselling of the child is to be done
• If it is a case of sexual abuse, originated in home or in the neighbourhood, then family will be taken into confidence, and help will be provided in connecting the child and their family with appropriate agencies
• If it is a case of sexual abuse implicating an employee of the organization then the organization will take appropriate legal measures as per the law of the land. Concerned employee shall be terminated from the job with immediate effect