Child Protection:
Our Highest Priority

Protecting Vulnerable Children Is Our Responsibility

Children in poverty are at a higher risk of harm, from neglect and forced child labor to abuse, trafficking and domestic violence. As an organization working to release children from poverty in Jesus' name, Compassion is serious about keeping children safe.

We believe that child protection is central to God's heart. That belief motivates us to live out God's mandate to love, care for and protect his little ones.

“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3-4, NIV).

What Is Child Protection?

Violence against children has lasting consequences. Children suffering harm may experience physical and psychological trauma. They may suffer injuries or illnesses that keep them from attending school or finding employment as adults.

These consequences and others keep children trapped in the cycle of poverty and without hope. Child protection keeps children safe from physical, emotional, mental and spiritual harm, helping them grow and develop as God intended.

Our Core Beliefs About Protecting Children

Our approach to child protection is based on core beliefs we hold across our board of directors, global partners and local church partners.

• No violence against children is justifiable, and all violence against children is preventable.
• Children are valuable to God, uniquely created and worthy of dignity and respect.
• It's everyone's job to protect children.
• Everyone involved in the protection of children should always act in the best interests of children and be held accountable if they don't.
• Parents and caregivers hold first and primary responsibility for the care and protection of children. However, we recognize that because of life circumstances, not every parent is equipped to protect their children, and all parents need support.
• Children are both vulnerable and strong. We view children as active contributors in their protection. Children must be empowered to engage in the work of protecting themselves and their peers. At the same time, children must be protected and cared for by the adults in their lives.
• Sponsors have a responsibility to protect children, as does anyone in a relationship with a child.
• Government authorities play a role in preventing the mistreatment of children and must respond when children are harmed. Compassion promotes local legal systems and authorities as the most appropriate legal outlets for redress of criminal cases of child abuse, exploitation and neglect. We also recognize that parents play a critical supportive role in these efforts.

How Compassion Protects Children

At Compassion:

• We prevent abuse whenever possible.
• We intervene quickly when abuse is reported.
• We seek to provide restoration and healing.
• We work to empower children to be active in their own protection, ensuring they know their rights and have the confidence to stand up for them.

We protect children by:

• Teaching age-appropriate child protection curriculum to every child and youth in our programs, empowering them to advocate for themselves.
• Training those caring for children in how to protect children and prevent child abuse.
• Training staff members, leaders and volunteers at local churches to protect, practice safety and respond quickly and appropriately to concerning reports.
• Training and holding all Compassion staff accountable through our global Code of Conduct regarding children.
• Conducting background checks for everyone who may interact with a child in our programs, from our employees in the U.S. and field countries to our local church partner volunteers.
• Regularly screening child sponsors against publicly available sex offender registry data and removing those with records. We also screen all communications between children and sponsors, ensuring communication is appropriate and safe.
• Removing personal information that could be used to identify and locate children in our programs. A child's first and last name is not used in printed materials, online or in sponsorship correspondence.

It is the policy of Compassion International to terminate the sponsorship or donation account of anyone found on a sex offender registry and/or who has been convicted of a sex crime. Compassion International will also terminate the sponsorship or donation account of any persons living at the same address as a registered and/or convicted sex offender.