Child Protection Policy

• §744.1201. All employees, including persons not counted in the child/caregiver ratio, must:
  • Demonstrate competency, good judgment, and self-control in the presence of children and when performing assigned responsibilities;
  • Relate to children with courtesy, respect, acceptance, and patience;
  • Recognize and respect the uniqueness and potential of all children, their families, and their cultures;
  • Ensure that no child is abused, neglected, or exploited while in the care of the operation; and
  • Report suspected abuse, neglect, and exploitation to DFPS or to law enforcement, as specified in the Texas Family Code §261.101.
     
• §744.2103. Methods of discipline and guidance
  • Each disciplinary measure must:
    • Be consistent with your policies and procedures;
    • Not be physically or emotionally damaging to the child;
    • Be appropriate to the child's age and level of understanding; and
    • Be appropriate to the incident and severity of the behavior demonstrated.
       
  • A caregiver may only use positive methods of discipline and guidance that encourages self-esteem, self-control, and self-direction, including the following:
    • Using praise and encouragement of good behavior instead of focusing only upon unacceptable behavior;
    • Reminding a child of behavior expectations daily by using clear, positive statements;
    • Redirecting behavior using positive statements; and
    • Using brief supervised separation or time out from the group, when appropriate for the child’s age and development, which is limited to no more than one minute per year of the child’s age.
       
• §744.2105. There must be no harsh, cruel, or unusual treatment of any child. The following types of discipline and guidance are prohibited:
  • Corporal punishment or threats of corporal punishment;
  • Punishment associated with food, naps, or toilet training;
  • Pinching, shaking, or biting a child;
  • Hitting a child with a hand or instrument;
  • Putting anything in or on a child’s mouth;
  • Humiliating, ridiculing, rejecting, or yelling at a child;
  • Subjecting a child to harsh, abusive, or profane language;
  • Placing a child in a locked or dark room, bathroom, or closet; and
  • Requiring a child to remain silent or inactive for inappropriately long periods of time for the child’s age.

Duty to Report

• Staff Recruitment. Austin International School requires that all staff members and volunteers not have any criminal or background matters that may impede their ability to work with children. For all new hires, a sworn and notarized affidavit must be kept of file to affirm, under penalty of perjury, that they do not have any past criminal behavior that may be of concern with regard to child protection matters. In certain instances, AIS may require copies of police clearance reports from jurisdictions outside of the United States of America.
• Staff Training. Regular staff training is conducted to ensure staff feel confident about all aspects of child protection, including awareness, types, signs/symptoms, prevention, policies and laws, reporting process, and resources available. To achieve this objective:
  • New and returning staff receive annual child protection training on these aspects as part of the start-of-year in-service training. Documentation to support this training include the following appendices included with this policy: Terminology; Signs that Should Alert Educators; Additional Guidance for Teachers; Toilet and Intimate Care Guidelines.
  • The Discipline and Guidance Policy is provided to all staff annually to give clear expectations and boundaries regarding child protection procedures. This document must be signed and kept on-file during employment. AIS may require individuals to re-sign this document at any time if there are concerns with regard to potential violations of policy.
     
• Facilities and Security. The following facilities and procedures are in place to ensure the security, respect, safety, and wellbeing of all children:
  • Only individuals having passed all required background checks may meet one-on-one with students. All rooms into which students are permitted have a window in the door. Staff members must maintain line-of-sight with this door if and when meeting one-on-one with students.
  • Students are not permitted on-campus before of after school operating hours.
  • Regular safety drills are held, including fire, severe weather, and shelter-in-place. The procedures for these drills are reviewed annually and posted around campus and in the family handbook.
  • Regular safety and security inspections are carried out at AIS by the following agencies: Department of Health and Human Services; Department of Health; Austin Fire Department; Austin Police Department.
     
• Contractors and Service Providers. No contractors, vendors and service providers operating on-site during school operating hours will be left with unsupervised access to students.
   
• Reporting of Incidents. In the event of an allegation against a staff member or volunteer, the matter will initially be reported to the most appropriate state agency (i.e., Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Family and Protective Services, Child Protective Services, and/or the Austin Police Department) and an investigation coordinated by the Head of School will take place.

Appendices

1. Appendix 1: Terminology
2. Appendix 2: Signs that Should Alert Educators
3. Appendix 3: Additional Guidance for Teachers
4. Appendix 4: Toilet and Intimate Care Guidelines