Child Safeguarding Standards (Aug. 2016)

(a) Implementation of activities under this award may involve children, or personnel engaged in the implementation of the award may come into contact with children, which could raise the risk of child abuse, exploitation, or neglect within this award. The contractor agrees to abide by the following child safeguarding core principles:

(1) Ensure compliance with host country and local child welfare and protection legislation or international standards, whichever gives greater protection, and with U.S. law where applicable;

(2) Prohibit all personnel from engaging in child abuse, exploitation, or neglect;

(3) Consider child safeguarding in project planning and implementation to determine potential risks to children that are associated with project activities and operations;

(4) Apply measures to reduce the risk of child abuse, exploitation, or neglect, including, but not limited to, limiting unsupervised interactions with children; prohibiting exposure to pornography; and complying with applicable laws, regulations, or customs regarding the photographing, filming, or other image-generating activities of children;

(5) Promote child-safe screening procedures for personnel, particularly personnel whose work brings them in direct contact with children; and

(6) Have a procedure for ensuring that personnel and others recognize child abuse, exploitation, or neglect; mandating that personnel and others report allegations; investigating and managing allegations; and taking appropriate action in response to such allegations, including, but not limited to, dismissal of personnel.

(b) The contractor must also include in the code of conduct for all personnel implementing USAID-funded activities, the child safeguarding principles in paragraphs (a)(1) through (6) of this clause.

(c) The following definitions apply for purposes of this clause:

(1) Child. A child or children are defined as persons who have not attained 18 years of age.

(2) Child abuse, exploitation, or neglect. Constitutes any form of physical abuse; emotional ill-treatment; sexual abuse; neglect or insufficient supervision; trafficking; or commercial, transactional, labor, or other exploitation resulting in actual or potential harm to the child's health, well-being, survival, development, or dignity. It includes, but is not limited to: Any act or failure to act which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm to a child, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm to a child.

(3) Emotional abuse or ill treatment. Constitutes injury to the psychological capacity or emotional stability of the child caused by acts, threats of acts, or coercive tactics. Emotional abuse may include, but is not limited to: Humiliation, control, isolation, withholding of information, or any other deliberate activity that makes the child feel diminished or embarrassed.

(4) Exploitation. Constitutes the abuse of a child where some form of remuneration is involved or whereby the perpetrators benefit in some manner. Exploitation represents a form of coercion and violence that is detrimental to the child's physical or mental health, development, education, or well-being.

(5) Neglect. Constitutes failure to provide for a child's basic needs within USAID-funded activities that are responsible for the care of a child in the absence of the child's parent or guardian.

(6) Physical abuse. Constitutes acts or failures to act resulting in injury (not necessarily visible), unnecessary or unjustified pain or suffering without causing injury, harm or risk of harm to a child's health or welfare, or death. Such acts may include, but are not limited to: Punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing, stabbing, choking, or hitting (regardless of object used), or burning. These acts are considered abuse regardless of whether they were intended to hurt the child.

(7) Sexual abuse. Constitutes fondling a child's genitals, penetration, incest, rape, sodomy, indecent exposure, and exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials.

(d) The contractor must insert this clause in all subcontracts under this award.