Ask The Right Questions To Know Whether Your Child’s School/Daycare Is Safe?

Unless homeschooling is an option for you, your child spends a considerable amount of time in school or daycare every day. Hence, it is very important that as parents or caregivers you are aware of the institutional environment. To help you be a more empowered parent, we have put together a few questions that you can pose to your child’s school or daycare toward making it a more conducive space, free from abuse, in general, and sexual abuse, in particular.     

• Ask whether the institution has a Child Protection Policy to keep children safe from sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, bullying and corporal punishment.
• Ask whether the institution implements programmes on Personal Safety that teach children to identify safe/unsafe touch and situations, get away from the abuse and report to a trusted adult.
• Ask whether the institution conducts training programmes for its staff to identify and prevent abuse and respond to disclosures appropriately.
• Ask whether the institution conducts background checks of people before recruitment to ensure that they don’t have a history of child sexual abuse or any other form of child abuse.
• Ask whether the institution has drawn up a protocol for handling disclosure and supporting children.

Let us proactively work with schools to make them safe spaces for our little ones. Let’s not wait to react once there is a crisis, but work with the schools and daycare facilities toward preventing the crisis.
You can call Arpan’s helpline 9819086444 or write at support@arpan.org.in  to know how synergies can be created to keep schools and societies safe for children.  To know more about child safety and how to make your child’s school safe, visit www.arpan.org.in or you can make your child take the online Personal Safety course at www.arpanelearn.com