The Office of Head Start puts an emphasis on child safety.  The following information is the expectation from OHS of how staff will treat children and families. 

     A program must ensure all staff, consultants, contractors, and volunteers abide by the program’s standards of conduct that:

Implement positive strategies to support children’s well-being and prevent and address challenging behavior

Do not engage in behaviors that maltreat or endanger the health or safety of children, including, at a minimum:

Corporal punishment; or physically abusive behavior, defined as intentional use of physical force that results in, or has the potential to result in, physical injury.

 Examples include, but are not limited to, hitting, kicking, shaking, biting, pushing, restraining, force feeding, or dragging;

Sexually abusive behavior, defined as any completed or attempted sexual act, sexual contact, or exploitation.

Examples include, but are not limited to, behaviors such as inappropriate touching, inappropriate filming, or exposing a child to other sexual activities;  

Emotionally harmful or abusive behavior, defined as behaviors that harm a child’s self worth or emotional well-being.

Examples include, but are not limited to, using seclusion, using or exposing a child to public or private humiliation, or name calling, shaming, intimidating, or threatening a child; and

Neglectful behavior, defined as the failure to meet a child’s basic physical and emotional needs including access to food, education, medical care, appropriate supervision by an adequate caregiver, and safe physical and emotional environments.

Examples include, but are not limited to, leaving a child unattended on a bus, withholding food as punishment or refusing to change soiled diapers as punishment;

 Report reasonably suspected or known incidents of child abuse and neglect.

 Respect and promote the unique identity of each individual and do not stereotype on any basis, including gender, race, ethnicity,      culture, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or family composition.

 Comply  with program confidentiality policies concerning personally identifiable information about children, families, and other      staff. 

 Ensure no child is left alone or unsupervised.

Staff understand that there are consequences to participating in any of these actions that include reprimands and possible termination.