Child Protection Policy and Vulnerable Children Act 2014

Child Protection Policy and Vulnerable Children Act 2014

Little Feet Childcare Centre is committed to the protection of all children under their care and aim to prevent any form of abuse and neglect.

Policy Procedures:

Staff Recruitment:

New employees, volunteers, and any other person in regular unsupervised contact with the children will undergo a thorough checking of their credentials as per the guidelines of the Vulnerable Children’s Act 2014.Following procedures will be adhered to in accordance with Ministry of Education and Vulnerable Children’s Act requirements:

Prevention:

Police Vetting of Employees

Police vetting of non-teaching and unregistered employees at Little Feet Childcare centre services:

Little Feet Childcare Centre will obtain a Police vet of every person

Police vet will be obtained by Little Feet Childcare Centre before the person has or is likely to have, unsupervised access to children at the service of the Childcare Centre during normal opening hours and a Police vet of a person will be applied no later than 2 weeks after the person begins work at the Childcare Centre.

Procedures of responding to suspected child abuse

Child Abuse is defined in the Children Young Persons and their Families Act as “the harming (whether physically, emotionally, or sexually), ill-treatment, abuse, neglect or deprivation of any child or young person.”

Physical abuse – any acts that may result in physical harm of a child or young person.

Sexual abuse – any acts that involve forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether they are aware of what is happening.

Emotional abuse – any act or omission that results in adverse or impaired psychological, social, intellectual, and emotional functioning or development.

Family violence may be witnessed/experienced by children and involve physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

Neglect “is a pattern of behavior which occurs over a period of time and results in impaired functioning or development of a child. It is the failure to provide for a child’s basic needs, the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or psychological needs, leading to adverse or impaired physical or emotional functioning or development.

Neglect may be: