Safeguarding at AISV

AISV Safeguarding and Child Protection Statement

AISV believes all students have the right to feel safe and protected from harm while at school. Towards this end, the school has a duty and responsibility to create and sustain a school culture of awareness, prevention, and responsiveness through the development and enforcement of the Child Safeguarding Policy and protocols for AISV employees, students, their families, and visitors.

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AISV will adhere to the following laws and school requirements:

• The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: Article 19 (protection from all forms of violence), of which the host country, Lithuania, is a signatory. Article 19 stipulates that governments must do all they can to ensure that children are protected from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect, and mistreatment by their parents or anyone else who looks after them.
• The Lithuanian Child Rights Protection System provides the legal process and resources for child protection in Lithuania.
• Central and Eastern Europe Schools Association (CEESA) child protection requirements.
• New England Association of Schools Accreditation (NEASC) and Council of International Schools (CIS) accreditation child protection requirements.
• US Office of Overseas Education child protection requirements.

AISV will ensure that students will be safeguarded through the following protocols:

• AISV staff (new hires and current employees) will submit a criminal background check to the Human Resources Manager. Criminal background checks must be updated annually in accordance with local governmental regulations.   
• AISV volunteers who will offer an ongoing school-related activity (e.g., after-school activity) or chaperoning of an activity (e.g., field trip or CEESA event) will submit a background check to the Human Resources Manager. This does not apply to parents who come to a one-time classroom event, a school assembly, or the like.   
• AISV staff are expected to report suspected child abuse of a student to the school administration in a timely manner (within 24 hours of suspicion). The Child Safeguarding Coordinator (CSC) will report to the administration, who will respond within 24 hours of receipt of suspicion.   
• AISV will provide annual education to students, parents, and staff on child protection awareness, prevention, and responsiveness.   
• AISV will follow CEESA child protection requirements when participating in a CEESA-sponsored event.   
• AISV will ensure that staff working with students are informed and proactive in implementing appropriate best practices for child safeguarding. Specific practices are in the AISV Employee Handbook.   
• AISV will ensure that volunteers who offer ongoing school-related activities receive training and are informed and proactive in implementing appropriate best practices for child safeguarding.   
• AISV will ensure campus security by enforcing gate access protocols for staff and visitors (e.g., use of badges and color-coded lanyards).   
• AISV will ensure the E-Safety policies and protocols are in place for students and staff.   
• AISV will ensure that students are safely supervised (e.g., an adequate staff-to-student ratio) to safeguard child protection during school hours, field trips, activities, and school-sponsored events.   
• AISV will ensure confidentiality is maintained in all reporting incidents and in staff/volunteer screening matters related to child safeguarding.