Eurochild Safeguarding Policy 2026
Child safeguarding is fundamental to ensuring that children under the age of 18 can safely exercise their rights, express their views, and participate meaningfully in decisions that affect them. For Eurochild, child safeguarding is a priority.
Eurochild’s guiding principles on child safeguarding:
- The organisation is committed to ensuring that no child is exposed to harm or at risk of harm.
- A zero-tolerance policy is applied to all forms of violence, abuse, and neglect of children.
- All children have an equal right to protection, regardless of their personal or social circumstances.
- Everyone has a responsibility to actively contribute to the protection, well-being, and empowerment of children.
- The organisation has a clear duty of care towards all children it works with, comes into contact with, or whose lives may be affected by its activities.
- Children have the right to express their views and to actively participate in decision-making processes that affect them, in accordance with their age and evolving capacities.
- The organisation actively promotes, values, and integrates children’s participation in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of its activities.
- All activities and decisions are guided by the “Best interests of the child“ as a fundamental principle, while respecting children’s voices.
- In cooperation with partners, the organisation assumes responsibility for promoting and ensuring compliance with minimum child safeguarding standards.
Alongside Keeping Children Safe, Eurochild’s newly adopted safeguarding policy draws on guidance from the Oak Foundation, a group of experts, Eurochild staff, Management Board members, Eurochild members and Eurochild Children’s Council and the Network of Online Visionaries in Action (NOVA children’s group).
This document replaces the previous Child Protection Policy from 2024.
We strongly encourage all organisations, including our members and partners, to develop and maintain their own safeguarding policies, tailored to their operational context, and legal obligations, and to ensure that these are effectively implemented and regularly reviewed.
For further information, contact Carine Le Borgne, Eurochild’s Eurochild Child Safeguarding Focal Person.
