Child Protection and ECD Programme

Child Protection and Early Childhood Development Programme

Overview:

The programme focuses on raising community awareness of child rights and child protection measures. In response to national laws and policies on child rights, communities are encouraged to protect, promote, safeguard and respect child rights. Children are encouraged to comply with their roles and responsibilities related to fulfillment of their rights. In addition, parents and communities are encouraged to meet with children to encourage them to comply with their roles and responsibilities to get their rights. This is achieved through:- Training communities on child rights and child protection; Conduct community sensitization meetings on the rights of children; Radio programs and IEC materials on Child Rights.

During training programmes emphasis is put on child rights to education, health, food, shelter, clothing etc. Special attention is paid to understanding the concepts and practices of child protection as indicated below:

• A child: In line with the UNCRC for the purposes of this policy a Child is defined as any Person under the age of 18 years (UNCRC Article 1)
• Child Protection: Is defined in this policy as responsibilities and preventive and responsive measures and activities that ELPP undertakes to protect children, ensuring that no child is subject to abuse.
• Child Abuse: Is defined as all forms of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect or exploitation of a Child and includes any actions that result in any actual or potential harm to a Child. Child abuse as a general term is used to describe the situations where the child may experience harm, usually as a result of failure on the part of the parent or carer to ensure a reasonable standard of care and protection. Child abuse takes place within the context of family or outside the family. E.g. in institutions, at work pace (child labour), in war zones and emergencies.  It may include both actions and omissions on the parent or care and is normally categorized into four main forms, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect
• Physical abuse: Includes Corporal Punishment/physical harassment
• Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse is the actual or likely sexual exploitation of a child or young person. Sexual abuse includes rape, incest, female genital mutilation or female circumcision, under age marriage and all forms of sexual activities involving children including pornography (children used as sexual models, commercial sex etc).
• Emotional abuse: Emotion abuse refers to the actual or likely adverse effect on the emotional and behavioral development of a child caused by persistent or severe emotional ill treatment or rejection.
• Neglect: Neglect is defined as the persistent or severe neglect of a child or the failure to protect a child from exposure to any kind of danger including cold or starvation or extreme failure to carry out important aspects of care, resulting on a significant impairment of the child’s health or development.