Adopted by the Mother Grove on 15 February, 2012. Last modified on 15 February, 2012
Intent:
Recognizing our personal responsibility for and commitment to the virtue of hospitality, this policy was developed to provide for the safety and wellbeing of our members and their families as they participate in ADF worship and other spiritual activities of the organization. Child abuse and neglect is not only against the law, but also, is a violation of the sacred bargain ADF Druids share with the Kindreds.
Definition:
ADF takes its definition of child abuse from the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C.A. § 5106g), as amended by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010, and from the World Health Organization’s definition of child maltreatment. A “child” under this definition generally means a person who is younger than age 18 or who is not an emancipated minor.
Child abuse includes any recent act or failure to act by a parent or other person responsible for the care and well-being of a child, which results in serious harm or imminent risk to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power. Child abuse includes all types of physical and/or emotional harm, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence, exploitation and potentially, could include exposure to intimate partner violence.
Policies:
When a complaint of abuse or neglect of a child designated by law as a legal minor is disclosed, or where there is reasonable cause to suspect such abuse or neglect, the person to whom the disclosure is made or who suspects such abuse shall immediately report the suspicion and the information on which it is based to the appropriate authority or agency as defined by law.
The person reporting is encouraged to record the details of the disclosure or the reasonable cause for suspicion, including dates and times of the alleged incident and name, address of the alleged perpetrator. The person reporting is to keep the information confidential, except as required by law and this policy.
The authority or agency to which suspected abuse or neglect of a minor is reported has the responsibility of investigating the suspected abuse or neglect. In order that such investigation is not hindered, no representative of ADF will question the alleged victim, the alleged perpetrator, or any potential witness concerning the investigation while the investigation by the agency, authority, and/or police is being conducted or until such time as those authorities indicate such questioning may proceed.
When the alleged perpetrator is in a position of responsibility in the organization, its subgroups or Groves/Protogroves, the matter should also be immediately reported to the ADF Mother Grove Officers by the person who has taken the allegations to the reporting agency or authorities using the standard complaint procedures as outlined in the ADF Standard Operating Procedures manual under ‘Complaints‘.
Specific definitions, reporting procedures and prevention strategies can be accessed at http://www.childwelfare.gov/can/ and http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/child/en/.
Risk Reduction Recommendations:
The following recommendations were developed for those working with children and youth to decrease risk and to increase safety for children, youth and volunteers.
- Preferably two unrelated adults should be assigned to children and/or youth at all times.
- When possible utilize volunteers with current criminal and child abuse background checks.
- Keep a record for each child that includes the name(s), current location and contact phone number for the child or youth’s parent(s) or guardian(s).
- Obtain permission forms signed by a parent or guardian when you are providing care for a child and/or youth at a location separate from the location of a parent or guardian.
- Permission forms, information regarding allergies, medications and any other medical alert information should also be maintained; however, the utmost care must be taken to protect confidentially of all medical information.
- Only parents or guardians should give a child or youth medication.
- Universal precautions should be utilized if changing diapers or utilizing minor first aid.
- Volunteers should complete an application that includes contact and emergency information that is kept on file.
- Volunteers should be knowledgeable of the sites emergency evacuation plan.
- Volunteers under age 18 should be supervised by an adult volunteer at all times.
