Minimum Standards for Child Friendly Spaces and Children’s Centers
SUDAN FINAL
October 2011
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This version of the Child Friendly Spaces Minimum Standards is a revision of the Darfur 2007 CFSs standards and is endorsed by the Child Protection SubSector for the whole Sudan.
FACILITIES/MATERIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
1. GENERAL STANDARDS
1.1. Organizations implementing CFS programming should have a clear statement setting forth the purpose of the CFS and the services provided in support of that purpose.[1] The organization should ensure that the purpose and services of CFS are clearly communicated through participatory consultations and discussion with the community, parents, and children themselves.
1.2. Organizations implementing CFS programming should have a clearly defined child protection policy which reflects the standards set forth by international and national law, and which provides guidance and procedures for the staff to follow when or if they discover or suspect a child has been or is being abused or neglected.[2] The child protection policy should be clearly displayed in each of the main spaces including the entrance at the CFS, and all parents/primary caregivers and staff should be made aware of its existence and contents.[3]
1.3. Organizations implementing CFS programming should have a code of conduct for staff and volunteers that clearly describes the appropriate behavior and boundaries for staff vis-à-vis the children in their care, and which should be signed by each staff person, including volunteers. The code of conduct should be translated into the local language and clearly displayed in each of the facilities at the CFS, with the reporting and disciplinary procedure set forth clearly for all to see.[4] Each staff member should also be provided with a printed copy of this code of conduct in the national/local language that they can clearly understand. An accessible and confidential reporting mechanism for violations of the Code of Conduct should be agreed upon and disseminated to staff, parents, the community, and children themselves.
Clear and purposeful statements are important because the CFS is more likely to meet the needs of the children if the aims and standards for their care are set forth clearly.
1.4. Children have the right to a standard of care that is adequate for their physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, moral and social development,[5] specifically with regard to hygiene, play and essential needs.[6]
1.5. The CFS location, design and size should be in keeping with its purpose and function, taking into consideration the constraints of the local context.[7] If this is not the case then all measures possible should be taken so it can effectively serve the needs of the children within it, and provide an environment that is supportive of the different needs of children.
1.6. Referral pathways to health, nutrition, education and other child-protection relevant services should be communicated/known by all staff/volunteers.
1.7. Consultations and discussions with the community should promote the understanding and commitment that the primary purpose and priority of the CFS is for integrated child protection. Community use of the space should be limited to those times when such activities will not interfere with or undermine the implementation of activities for children.[8]
2. CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDSSTANDARDS
2.1. All measures possible should be taken to ensure accessibility to the CFS for children with special physical and intellectual needs. This could include practical solutions using materials within camps to create ramps or holding rails if needed.
Children with special physical and intellectual needs should have access to the same facilities as other children. CFSs have an obligation to ensure such access so that children with disabilities can participate in the services provided by the CFS without being hindered by their special needs.
3. ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITIES
3.1. The CFS should have an areaor time for staff, parents and other visitors and which are separate from those used by children. The space/time should enable the staff to meet their personal needs, as well as conduct interviews or meetings and carry out administrative tasks.[9]
Separate administrative facilities allow the staff of the CFS to carry out both official and non-official tasks without disturbing the children at the CFS. It also helps ensure the privacy of the staff in the performance of some of their duties away from the children.
4. TOILET FACILITIES
4.1. Each CFS should have hand-washing facilities (including soap or ash), and accessibility to a clean water source, including clean drinking water. Safe hygiene practices, such as hand and face washing, should be incorporated as a daily activity for children in the CFS.
4.2. The CFS should have toilet/latrine facilities that are conveniently located inside the CFS and easily accessible to the children.[10] There should either be separate facilities for boys or girls, or a mechanism to ensure that girls and boys do not use the toilets at the same time. Age factor should be also taken into account when designing and locating latrines/toilets.
4.3. Toilets should be situated and designed to take account of the children’s needs for privacy, dignity, safety and any disability, and should be easily accessible from the recreational facilities at the CFS.
Bathroom facilities need to be easily accessible to children to ensure that their developmental needs are being met and that good hygiene is being practiced. They also need to cater to the different categories of children at the CFS, as well as ensure their privacy rights.
4.4. The staff members should use separate toilet and bathroom facilities to those used by children. If that is not possible, the staff members may use the same facilities only when children are not using them.[11]
4.5. Where possible each CFS should try to ensure that the toilet facilities can be locked/fixed/secured from the inside[12] and that only staff members are able to open the doors to bathrooms, showers and toilets from the outside in case of emergency.[13]
This ensures that the children’s right to privacy is respected. It also guards against the potential for abuse or inappropriate behavior.
4.6. Each CFS should ensure that the bathroom facilities are regularly cleaned (at a minimum, daily) and disinfected.[14] Older children should be encouraged to have the responsibility to keep the facilities clean.
These types of settings allow illness and infection to spread rapidly; thus standards of hygiene should be extremely high.
5. RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
5.1. Each CFS should have recreational facilities and activities on-site that are tailored to the different needs of children.[15]
Such activities contribute to the development of the children, physically, socially, and intellectually.
5.2 Children should have access to and a choice in the selection of games and activities.
5.2. The indoor play areas, where possible, should have natural lighting and proper ventilation. The indoor play areas should promote all areas of child development (social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional), and should, subject to availability, including areas that accommodate dramatic play, interactive play and education, art activities, gross motor skills activities and a quiet area. . Equipment and pay materials should be culturally sensitive and age-appropriate. The indoor play areas should be organized so that children can choose and access play materials with minimal assistance (i.e. low shelves, open bins, etc).[16]
5.3. The CFS should have as large an outdoor play area as space permits and which allows sufficient space for team sport and other recreation activities.
5.4. The CFS and surrounding play area should be demarcated and enclosed on all sides and should have specific entrance(s) through which people can enter and exit, in order to facilitate monitoring the movement of children, staff and others into and out of the CFS.
5.5. The CFS should ensure that the indoor and outdoor play areas and equipment are of sufficient quantity and variety for the number and ages of the children at the CFS and the equipment therein is safe and maintained in good repair. Whenever possible recreation/art materials should be chosen in consultation with children. [17]
5.6. The equipment in the outdoor play areas should be at a height suitable for the age and height of the children who use it. Separate outdoor play areas should be provided for infants and toddlers with age appropriate equipment. The equipment in the outdoor play areas should be cleaned, maintained and monitored prior to use by the children to ensure its safety. [18]
5.7. There should be shaded areas available (i.e. trees; building; awning; umbrellas; etc.) in and around the outdoor play areas, and if possible a variety of ground surfaces available in the outdoor play areas to encourage a range of activities; in, areas under and around climbing structures/slides/swings, there should be cushioning or sand to avoid injury. [19]
5.8. Recreational spaces should be used as an opportunity for children to present and express their work and creativity. The children’s artwork, drawings, sculptures and other crafts should be prominently displayed in the CFS.
The equipment in the outdoor play areas should be appropriate to the children’s physical size and level of development in order to meet children’s needs in all areas of development. The maintenance of the equipment therein is key to ensuring the safety of those children by ensuring that the equipment and play materials accessible to children are maintained properly so that the children can play safely. Further, taking precautionary measures protects children from injury due to falls in outdoor play areas, thus ensuring their safety at the CFS, and allowing them to truly enjoy the play areas.
6. MEDICAL FACILITIES
6.1. Each CFS should have access to a space for the treatment of any injury or minor illness that may occur to children while under the care of the CFS staff.[20] This space should be adequate to deal with the different needs of children.
6.2. If no clinic is in the vicinity one staff with first aid training should be present at CFS at all times while operating and first aid kit available.
6.3. The CFS should assist in promoting the health and life skills that are age appropriate for the children using its services. This should be carried out by specialist medical staff and could include, but is not limited to the promotion of, immunization and screening, nutrition and diet, exercise and rest, personal hygiene, child rights and where appropriate and culturally acceptable – how to make positive choices surrounding: sexual health, the effects of alcohol, smoking and other substances, as well as information about HIV/AIDS and other diseases.[21]
6.4. When dealing with sick children, cleaning up spills of blood and other body fluids, staff members should always wear gloves or use plastic bags to protect their hands.[22]
6.5. There should be facilities for proper waste disposal. This rubbish should be burned or buried in a location outside the CFS.
6.6. Any materials like wash cloths or towels used to wipe faces or clean messes should be kept away from children and washed and soaked in a container to ensure they are completely sanitized before re-use.
These types of settings allow illness and infection to spread rapidly; thus standards of hygiene should be extremely high.
6.7. CFS catering to children with disabilities should ensure the provision of assistive devices and equipment, personal assistance and interpreter services, according to the needs of persons with disabilities. [23] They should take the special requirements of girls and boys with disabilities into account with regard to the design, durability and age-appropriateness of assistive devices and equipment. If these types of materials are unavailable the CFS should endeavor to look at materials available in the camp to develop assistive devices as needed.[24]
STANDARDS OF CARE
7. GENERAL STANDARDS OF CARE
7.1. The children at the CFS should be treated with dignity and respect at all times, and all efforts should be made to prevent any form of discrimination.[25]
Children that come to CFSs often come from and live in very difficult circumstances. They may hold no self-worth and may be used to being ignored or treated badly. Treating children with respect and care regardless of their circumstances will go a long way towards improving their self-esteem and making them feel better about themselves, which will in turn prepare them to better face their future life experiences.
7.2. Each CFS should take care that in all proceedings and dealings with the child, families and communities that they ensure the best interests of the child at all times. This is always of paramount consideration.
7.3. The CFS should encourage and provide opportunities for children to express their views and make informed choices regarding the content of their daily lives, including their participation in CFS activities, and important decisions that affect them in an age-appropriate manner.[26]
Giving attention and support to children’s views helps build their self-worth and their self-confidence. These views can be elicited verbally through forums or discussions, or formally through feedback forms. In either case, children should be encouraged to share and debate their views and make informed choices about the decisions that affect their daily lives. This will assist them in becoming more independent and self-sufficient.
7.4. There should be a record of the children (one enrolment list and one attendance list) at the CFS, i.e. where they came from, date first used services and CFS and the frequency of use, why they came to the CFS, records of primary caregivers-parent/sand special needs.[27] Every child’s enrolment record should be comprehensively updated at least once every month, and when any changes to their information occur; records should be kept as long as the child is using the services at the CFS.[28] Each CFS/organization should identify a specific individual responsible to monitor the record keeping process.