Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
Feeding India believes in enabling people to pledge their unique strengths and commitments to secure, protect and honor the basic rights of each individual including children.
Safeguarding is the responsibility that an organization has to ensure that their employees and volunteers, partners, vendors, operations, and programmes do not harm children; that they do not expose them to the risk of discrimination, neglect, harm, and abuse; and that any concerns the organization has about the safety of vulnerable people within the communities in which they work, are dealt with and reported to the appropriate authorities.
Child protection is a central part of but not separate from safeguarding. It is the process of protecting individual children identified as either suffering or at risk of significant harm as a result of abuse or a programme of work. It also includes measures and structures designed to prevent and respond to abuse.
Taking cognizance of the importance of child safeguarding, through this policy, we commit to provide clarity to all within the scope of this policy on how they should engage with children. It is a prerequisite to ensure that employees, volunteers, and other representatives are protected. It is intended to help us have a mutual understanding of safeguarding issues, develop good practice across the diverse and complex areas in which we operate and thereby increase accountability in this crucial aspect of our work.
This policy applies to all employees inclusive of contractual employees and interns and for everyone working for or on behalf of Feeding India. All are bound by their contract to follow this policy while performing their duties.
Child– Feeding India regards a child as anyone under the age of 18 years.
Child Abuse- Child abuse is defined as all forms of physical abuse, emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse and exploitation, neglect or negligent treatment, commercial or other exploitation of a child, and includes any action that results in actual or potential harm to a child. Child abuse may be a deliberate act or it may be failing to act to prevent harm. Child abuse consists of anything which individuals, institutions, or processes do or fail to do, intentionally or unintentionally, which harms a child and/or damages their prospect of safe and healthy development.
Child Protection: Child protection is the protection of children from any kind of violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect.
Feeding India works to the following key principles to protect and safeguard children.
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Each child has an equal right to protection from abuse and exploitation regardless of age, race, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership gender reassignment, language, religion, political or other opinions, national, ethnic, or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.
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Child protection is everyone’s responsibility and is driven by the duty of care.
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Feeding India respects confidentiality and has a responsibility to protect the sensitive personal data of each individual (especially children). Information should only be shared and managed on a need-to-know basis, that is, access to the information must be necessary for the conduct of one's official duties.
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To explicitly state the organization's zero tolerance towards child abuse.
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Respect the privacy and dignity of every child.
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Make proactive efforts for ensuring the safety of children by identifying and managing risks periodically in all spaces accessed by children.
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Ensure that all communication with children should take place within the boundaries of the profession and are coordinated with organizational policy.
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Ensure that the best interests of the child are of prime importance and should guide all decisions, where there is an involvement of children, made by Feeding India.
All the parties mentioned in the Scope (1.3) WILL:
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Understand and adhere to all the laws protecting and safeguarding the children that come under the constitution of India.
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Place the safety and welfare of children above all other considerations.
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Report any concerns they may have about the welfare of any child.
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Report any concerns they may have about the behaviour of a Feeding India representative in relation to safeguarding a child.
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Be sensitive towards each child’s age, sex, ethnicity, background, sexuality, religion, etc.
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Be conscious of and sensitive towards making appropriate arrangements for the special needs of children, particularly physically and mentally challenged children.
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Create an environment where children are respected and encouraged to discuss their concerns of abuse and rights.
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In a one-to-one situation with a child, try to make sure that another adult knows the contact is taking place and why. If possible, ensure another adult is in sight and that the child knows another adult is around.
All the parties mentioned in the scope (1.3) WILL NOT:
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Abuse any child and put the child at the risk of harm.
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Act in ways that may be abusive or may place a child at risk of abuse.
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Engage in any behaviour to intimidate, bully, humiliate, shame, threaten, coerce or belittle any child.
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Physically abuse or hit any child or use any form of corporal punishment against any child.
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Take images /videos of any child ‘in secret’ or in situations that may be viewed as being secretive.
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Patronize any service that employs children.
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Have social contact with children or their parents through any medium, online or offline, until unless it is approved by the management.
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Use or access profiles of children on social networking sites, particularly pictures and photographs of children, unless approved by the management.
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Watch pornography in front of children and/or show pornographic images and videos to children.
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Disclose the identity and /or personal information of children.
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Display or distribute images of children without informed consent from children and their parents and the appropriate authority of Feeding India.
Roles and responsibilities of respective parties in reference to this policy
Employee Responsibility
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All Feeding India employees have to comply with this policy and all applicable laws and regulations. Compliance is required whenever an employee is acting in their capacity as a representative of the Society.
Managers or supervisors Responsibility
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Take reasonable steps to resolve complaints in regard to implementing this policy that is brought to their attention and to maintain confidentiality as far as practicable.
Human Resources Responsibility
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Provide advice and address grievances relating to the protection and safeguarding of children and ensure that all such situations are managed appropriately and effectively.
Feeding India’ will not engage in any form of child labour (Age bar: 14 years)
The policy will be available on the intranet to all employees and our website. It will also be available at all conspicuous places in branch offices and head office.
Contact us
If you have questions about this donor privacy policy or requests about the status and correctness of your donor data, please contact us at contact@feedingindia.org
