Monica Bahaliu, Michelle Berger, Frances Black, Catherine Jobe April 11, 2014

Child Abuse United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child The right to be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. In order to ensure that local communities honour childrens right to be protected we will educate others about the signs and symptoms of child abuse and uphold our duty to report any suspected cases of abuse. As Early Childhood Educators we have a duty to protect children and report any suspicions of abuse. With that being said, failure to uphold this responsibility will make us as guilty, if not more guilty, than the perpetrator. As trained professionals, anything less than strict adherence to these standards is completely unacceptable. Easily accessible counselling and rehabilitation should be readily available for offenders in order to facilitate reintegration into society. To further protect the children they will be removed from unsafe conditions until such a time as it has been conclusively determined that substantial improvements have been consistently made. The government needs to be accountable, and transparency should be the norm to showcase the fact that funds are reaching the appropriate child initiatives. Agencies, such as the Childrens Aid Society, which have been put in place to protect children, must comply with policies and procedure to guarantee that every child is valued and protected. No child should ever be permitted to fall through the cracks ever again, as was the case with Jeffrey Baldwin in the Failing Jeffrey documentary we viewed in our Child Abuse class. The enforcement of stricter standards and criteria for all guardians is important to ensure that childrens health and well-being are protected. The appropriate steps must be taken (background checks mental health, criminal activity, suitability of accommodation, impromptu home visitations to verify cleanliness of home, nutritional needs of child are being met, sufficient space for each child is available). There should be a strong partnership between the Childrens Aid Society and schools, child care centres, hospitals and community amenities. On a global level, border officials should be well trained to lessen the possibility of child trafficking leading to exploitation. Furthermore, child labour must be discouraged, as this practice is detrimental to the well-being of children. If everyone does their part children all over the world will be assured a stronger level of protection.