Child Protection Policy

Statement of Belief
The abuse and neglect of children are concerns around the world. Child abuse and
neglect are violations of a child’s human rights and obstacles to a child’s education, as
well as to their physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development. Academia
Cotopaxi endorses the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), of which our
host country, Ecuador, is a signatory. At Academia Cotopaxi, we believe that all students
have the right to be protected from abuse and neglect. We recognize that schools fill a
special institutional role in society as protectors of children. Schools need to ensure that
all children in their care are afforded a safe and secure environment in which to grow and
develop, both at school and away. Educators, having the opportunity to observe and
interact with children over time, are in a unique position to identify children who are in
need of help and protection. As such, educators have a professional and ethical obligation
to report suspicions of abuse to school authorities. Academia Cotopaxi seeks to be a safe
haven for students who may be experiencing abuse or neglect in any aspect of their lives.

Guiding Principles

 All children have equal rights to be protected from harm and abuse.
 Everybody has a responsibility to support the protection of children.
 All schools have a duty of care to children enrolled in the school and those who are
affected by the operations of the school.
 All actions on child protection are taken with the best interests of the child, which are
paramount.

Definition of Child Abuse

According to the World Health Organization, child abuse constitutes “all forms of physical
and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment
or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s
health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility,
trust or power.”

School Policies

1. The School will comply with all legal requirements related to child protection within
Ecuador and will maintain an effective working relationship with relevant
government agencies.
2. The School will comply with the standards and regulations of the NEASC
accrediting organization as well as the IBO.
3. The School will appoint a Child Protection Officer with oversight of child protection
procedures and policies. The School will maintain a Child Protection Team who
 will perform the following functions: coordinate child abuse and neglect prevention
training, discuss potential cases of child abuse and neglect and determine if they
warrant reporting, act as intermediary between the school and the reporting
authority, and address child safety concerns of staff.
4. The School will conduct robust practices to ensure that it employs faculty and staff
of sound moral character suitable for working with children and youth.
5. The School will take action in any situation involving suspected abuse or
mistreatment of any student enrolled in the school.
6. All staff employed at Academia Cotopaxi, must report suspected incidents of child
abuse or neglect as well as suspected or identified child abusers and sex offenders
whenever the staff member has a cause to believe or suspect that a child has
suffered, or is at risk of suffering abuse or neglect. Reporting and follow up of all
suspected incidents of child abuse or neglect will proceed in accordance with
administrative regulations respective to this policy which includes reporting to
respective authorities when appropriate.
7. In all cases of suspected child abuse, the school will attempt to demonstrate
respect for families, their privacy, and their culture, subject to current legal
requirements, always keeping the best interests of the child in mind.
8. The School will conduct regular professional training workshops for volunteers,
faculty and staff on student safeguarding, child abuse prevention, recognition,
intervention and reporting.
9. In the case of a staff member reported as an alleged offender, Academia Cotopaxi
will conduct a full investigation following a carefully designed course of due
process, keeping the safety of the child at the highest priority.
10. Academia Cotopaxi will distribute and communicate this policy annually to all
stakeholders and will review the policy annually for compliance and effectiveness.