UN069059

UNICEF USA Child Safeguarding and Participation Policy

 

 

Introduction

It is the mission of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF d/b/a UNICEF USA (“UUSA”), grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to promote the rights and wellbeing of every child. Consistent with that mission, UUSA is committed to actively safeguarding children from harm in connection with any UUSA activities. This Policy and Guidelines must be taken into consideration when planning any activities, especially when they involve children directly or indirectly.

Everyone associated with UUSA has child safeguarding responsibilities, including volunteers and professionals who work with UUSA.

To this end, all UUSA constituents should:

  • Read and acknowledge UUSA’s Child Safeguarding and Participation Policy (“Policy”).
  • Familiarize themselves with situations that may present risks and learn how to mitigate such risks.
  • Commit to child safeguarding best practices and model safe behaviors.
  • Contribute to an environment where everyone, including children, are able to recognize unacceptable behavior and feel comfortable discussing their rights and concerns. This Policy should be considered in the context of the following non-exhaustive list of UUSA activities:
  • When engaging in activities involving children (whether directly or indirectly)
  • When planning or implementing UUSA activities
  • When facilitating staff/sponsor/donor/supporter visits to UNICEF program countries
  • When developing activities involving children including third party events and partner-led events
  • When processing, storing, and distributing children’s personally identifying information (“PII”)
  • When promoting our work using images and quotes or stories of children
  • While volunteering or staffing events

Scope

Child safeguarding is defined as the measures UUSA puts in place to limit the risk of harm to children arising from or in connection with UUSA work and/or activities. Child safeguarding relates to all UUSA’s work, including its fundraising, advocacy, marketing, programmatic, operational, and administrative work, including in the digital environment.

Everyone at UUSA, regardless of role, has safeguarding responsibilities. This policy applies to all UUSA staff and non-staff personnel (including temporary employees, consultants, and independent contractors). Non-UUSA personnel and those acting on behalf of UUSA partnerships and coalitions are also expected to adhere to this policy when undertaking work on behalf of UUSA. The policy also applies to individuals who visit UNICEF program locations and those who work with UUSA through volunteer or similar arrangements.

UUSA’s partners and vendors are expected to apply the principles and requirements of this policy through provisions included in the relevant agreements and contracts. UUSA staff are expected to advocate for and encourage partners and vendors to have their own safeguarding policies, standards, and practices, which should be no less stringent than those set out in this policy. These policies should include standards for the conduct of personnel, contractors and volunteers, or other individuals acting on their behalf.

This policy focuses on safeguarding children who come into contact with UUSA – that is, those who come into contact with our staff and personnel, partners, vendors, and those undertaking work for UUSA through volunteer arrangements. Issues of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and other workplace-related issues among or between UUSA staff and volunteers are regulated by other policies. Similarly, fraud and corruption issues are regulated under a different policy.

UUSA expects all constituents to adhere to the following expectations when interacting with children:

  • Always work in a way that respects the child’s dignity and rights and places their best interests above all other considerations.
  • Always treat all children with equal respect, without discrimination, regardless of their race, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, language, social origin or any other shared characteristic or trait.
  • Always respect cultural and religious differences when engaging with children and their families and be sensitive to these in interactions with them.
  • Always maintain appropriate boundaries whenever having direct or indirect contact with children, and do not engage in any conduct that breaches appropriate boundaries; this includes online and digital contact.
  • Always act on safeguarding concerns swiftly, reporting matters of concern in accordance with these Guidelines to reduce the risk of further harm to a child. If a child needs emergency medical attention, make that your first priority.
  • Report known or suspected child abuse immediately or as soon as practically possible to the Designated Child Safeguarding Officer or Focal Points.
  • Always follow the ‘two-adults’ rule, with two or more adults (visibly) supervising all children’s activities at all times (physically or digitally). ***
  • Don’t be “alone with a child” (physically or digitally) that is not your own or under your care.
  • Don’t engage in any sexual activity (contact or non-contact) with a child, or any activity that could be perceived as intimate.
  • Don’t endorse the participation of a child in abusive activities (e.g., bullying or harassment).
  • Don’t verbally or emotionally abuse a child, such as by shaming or degrading them (including stalking or online bullying).
  • Don’t discriminate or single out children based on personal reasons, preferences or prejudice, or make a child uncomfortable.
  • Don’t engage a child as your household servant.
  • Don’t groom children or engage in any sexual activity with a child (including online).
  • Don’t marry a child (including if permitted under state law).
  • Don’t assault, hit, burn, slap, punch, pinch, kick, bite, push a child or pull their hair.
  • Don’t neglect children.
  • Don’t expose children to violence.
  • Don’t engage in harmful practices (such as female genital mutilation or cutting or child marriage).
  • Don’t engage in child trafficking.
  • Don’t engage children in illegal activities or expose them to situations that might endanger them.

Communications about and with Children

Child safeguarding should be top-of-mind when communicating with or about children. Below are several key risk mitigation principles when engaging in such communications:

  • Some communication with children may be verbal or written and should be inclusive.
  • No digital or electronic communication should occur between UUSA staff and children under the age of 13.
  • Communications about children should incorporate photos, video and language that are respectful and protect the dignity and rights of children and that comply with any UNICEF Division of Communication guidelines.
  • UUSA publications, blogs, stories etc., should not include personal information, addresses, social media handles or contact information or any combination that would risk violating the privacy and/or safety of the child.
  • Personal addresses or contact information about children should not be distributed unless proper authorization from all parties is given.
  • The informed consent of a chaperone, parent/guardian or designee should be obtained before recording information or obtaining images, and the intended use(s) of such materials explained.
  • Communications with children should be limited to official UUSA business, including for youth engagement, youth empowerment, and volunteer organizing business and be conducted over monitored channels.
  • Communications with children should be conducted through official UUSA platforms on email, SMS and other UUSA comms tools. Any communications that cannot take place on official platforms of email and SMS must be conducted via official UUSA-supported devices.
  • SMS communications should take place on SMS platforms integrated with UUSA’s databases of record (BBCRM or Salesforce).
  • A parent/guardian should be included in or informed of individualized communications with children.
  • Children’s personal information in mass audience events or digital recordings should be anonymized to avoid identifying children publicly.

Transportation of Children

Use of personal vehicles to transport children from one location to another is permitted, but capacity is not to exceed the maximum factory standards of the vehicle, and two adults must be present in each vehicle. In addition, proper insurance is required when transporting children involved in a UNICEF or UUSA activity. Special parental permission to transport may be required depending on the activity. Parental permission/consent, licensing and insurance should be documented.

The field trips should depart from and return to a pre-approved place. Departure and return times must be age-appropriate (night-time departures or arrivals are discouraged). Children should have adequate time to adjust and rest upon arrival at the destination. All local road/traffic/safety regulations must be followed.

Meeting Locations

Whenever possible, meetings involving children should be held in a public and accessible location, such as a school, house of worship, library, community center, or the like. If meetings are held in private homes, all pets, firearms, and alcohol should be out of sight and out of reach. An assessment and accommodations should be made prior to an event in a home.

Alcohol and Drugs

Children invited to a UUSA sponsored fundraiser or event where alcohol is present must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. UUSA staff acting as chaperones must not consume alcohol at UUSA events; children attending events are not permitted to consume alcohol under any circumstances.

Personal Use of Social Media Sites

Before posting photographs and videos of children, permission must be obtained from the subject(s) and their parent, legal guardian, caregiver, or designee. This is a nonwaivable requirement where photographs of children involved in UUSA activities or events are concerned.

Program visit briefing books include guidelines on how to take appropriate photos of children, including Photo & Story Guidelines and Interacting with Victims of Abuse Guidance. Only appropriate photos should be shared on participants' social media channels, and only with the permission of the country office representative or UUSA staff.

Social media interactions with children should be limited to professional communications only and generally in connection UUSA volunteer activation.

Reporting

Reporting of child abuse. UUSA constituents are responsible for reporting any good-faith belief that any child is or has been subject to child abuse of any kind, in any circumstance, within or outside UUSA activities. The person making such report must notify UUSA’s child safeguarding focal points or may submit an incident through EthicsPoint. UUSA will follow up on the incident consistent with this Policy.

Allegations involving UUSA personnel or constituents. UUSA constituents should report to UUSA’s child safeguarding focal points any good-faith belief that a UUSA constituent has violated this Policy. UUSA will investigate any allegations and determine the appropriate response regarding UUSA personnel or volunteers. If the complaint concerns a UNICEF official, UUSA will refer any allegations to the appropriate UNICEF officials.

Recruiting and Screening

UUSA will follow applicable federal and state laws regarding recruiting and screening of prospective UUSA personnel who interact with children. UUSA may perform background checks on all prospective employees whose responsibilities include working with children and may perform criminal background checks on volunteers and others who interact with children or their data. Due diligence will also be conducted on vendors, partners, and others who interact with children as part of their responsibilities to UUSA.

APPENDIX

Definitions

  • “Chaperone” – a parent, caregiver, or designee who has received explicit written consent from parents/guardians of children to be responsible for a child for any event or activity or is the parent/legal guardian of the child.
  • “Child” or “children” – an individual constituent under the age of 18.
  • “Child abuse” includes all forms of physical abuse, emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse and exploitation, neglect or negligent treatment, commercial or other exploitation of a child, including any actions that result in actual or potential harm to a child. Child abuse may be a deliberate act, or it may be a failure to act to prevent harm.
  • “Board member” – a member of the UUSA National Board or a member of any of the nine UUSA regional office boards or next generation board.
  • “Child protection” – actions UUSA takes when we have specific concerns that a particular child is at risk of significant harm or UNICEF’s Child Protection programs supported by UUSA that are aimed at promoting polices and expanding access to services that protect all children.
  • “Non-staff personnel” – temporary employees, interns, consultants, independent contractors, vendors and vendor staff, etc.
  • “Staff member” – a member of staff or management of UUSA, permanent or temporary.
  • “Volunteer” – a supporter who offers their time, knowledge and/or abilities to UUSA on a non-paid basis.
  • “Vendor” – any entity or individual with whom UNICEF USA has contracted for paid work.
  • “Donor” – a known constituent who has contributed to UNICEF USA.