Child Protection Policy

Rationale:

Creative Kids Home based Education is fully committed to ensuring that all of its staff and Educators are in a safe, caring environment and are protected from any physical, emotional and sexual abuse. To ensure that educators and children’s families have access to information about child abuse. To ensure effective procedures are followed when dealing with cases of suspected abuse.  The safety of the child is our prime consideration at all times.

The purpose of this policy is to

  • ensure the safety of the child is paramount

  • ensure that all complaints are taken seriously and dealt with effectively

  • ensure that in the case of a complaint against an employee, appropriate procedures are

taken to protect the rights of that employee

  • provide clear guidance for management and personnel in respect of allegations received

concerning children in the early childhood education service.

  • Children’s well being and safety is our primary concern at all times.

This policy relates to the following:

  • Children, Young Persons and their families Act 1989 and any subsequent amendments.

  • Privacy Act 1993 and any subsequent amendments

  • Education Act 1998 and any subsequent amendments

  • Children’s Act 2014

  • Domestic Violence Act 1995 and any subsequent amendments

  • Licensing criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services 2008 and any subsequent amendments

  • Care of Children Act 2004 and any subsequent amendments

  • The Education (Homebased Care) Regulations 2008 and any subsequent amendments

  • Te Whāriki: Well‐being/Mana Atua:

Children experience an environment where their emotional well‐being is nurtured

Children experience an environment where they are kept safe from harm

Objectives:

  1. To protect the holistic health and safety of all children under the age of 17 Years

  2. To provide support for staff and educators working with children to identify the forms of abuse, neglect, mistreatment and how to respond to a disclosure of abuse, identifying abuse and empowering them as professionals with responsibilities.

  3. To provide a safe environment for children

Procedures

New educators will undergo required safety checks that comply with the Children’s Act (2014).

Creative Kids police vet all potential educators, and staff through the New Zealand Police Vetting Service. Existing educators are re vetted every three years, unless the manager or visiting teacher has reason to believe there needs to be another vet completed by any person working either voluntarily or paid in the organisation, any educator, all family members in the home aged 17 years and older and any regular visitors that may be in the home while the service is open and children are attending. (A regular visitor is classed as someone where family or friend who visits the home where care is taking place more than 3 times per week.)

Educators will ensure that only adults named on the enrollment form are able to collect children from the service. If a child is to be collected by someone other than the persons on their enrollment form, parents/whaanau are required to give written or verbal permission to the educator including their relationship to the child.

Written permission from parents is required for their child(ren) to participate in outings.

Information regarding a child will be shared to both parents unless there are any custodial arrangements in place which will limit this.

 A complaints procedure ensures issues of concern are dealt with appropriately.  Parents are encouraged to express their feelings and concerns so that the operation of Creative Kids can be constantly improved.

Visitors to the home or children of the educator are not allowed to change or toilet any child and are not to be left alone with any child or group of children.

We value the internet as a learning tool. The educator will be encouraged to only access child appropriate websites when exploring with children