SOS Children’s Villages’ Child Protection Commitment

SOS Children’s Villages works to ensure the fulfilment of every child’s right to family, protection, education and health care. We always strive to provide the highest quality care and support.

Therefore, SOS Children's Villages does not tolerate any form of child abuse, exploitation, neglect or violation of a child’s privacy and rights. We are committed to creating and maintaining a caring and protective environment for every child we reach through our programs.

We work in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children.

Our Child Protection Policy focuses on four key action areas: awareness, prevention, reporting and responding. We place special emphasis on awareness and prevention to safeguard children and improve the quality of the care they receive. In case of a reported child safeguarding concern, it is taken seriously and addressed without delay. This means that:

• We build the capacities of co-workers, children, young people and families to recognise signs of abuse –  and how to prevent it.
• We teach the use of tools such as positive discipline.
• We work to eliminate harmful cultural practices.
• Any reported child safeguarding incident or concern is carefully assessed and, based on the results of the assessment, concrete actions are decided and put in place.

If you want to report or have a concern regarding the well-being or safety of a child or youth beneficiary in any of SOS Children’s Villages’ programs in Canada or worldwide, please report online through SOS Children’s Villages International’s website: https://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/report-a-child-safety-concern