APPCO | Child Safeguarding/Protection Policy

We have a responsibility to the children we represent to tell their stories in a responsible and ethical manner. The child’s best interest should always be our primary consideration. We work with some of the world’s most vulnerable children and communities. We want people to be motivated to support APPCO’s work. To do this, we need to show the injustice children face in a way that creates an emotional response and compels people to act to make the world a better place for children. In doing so, we must respect the dignity and humanity of the children we serve and we must not exploit their situation in order to raise funds or attract attention for our cause.

Children and youth have all the rights of adults. In addition, they have the right to be protected from harm. Reporting on children and youth carries this added dimension and restriction, especially in the current era when it is nearly impossible to limit a story’s reach. Our Safeguarding Policy document is meant to support the best intentions of ethical reporting –serving the public’s interest for truth without compromising the rights of children.
In some instances, the act of reporting on children places them or other children at risk of exploitation, retribution or stigmatization. When in doubt, we must err on the side of caution and ensure the right of the child to be protected from harm.