Compassion and Child Protection

Thank you for caring about the privacy and protection of all our sponsored children.

Just like you, we recognise the safety and wellbeing of children is foundational to their healthy growth and development. As a result, Compassion has a zero-tolerance policy for child abuse. We take the protection and privacy of all children involved in our program seriously.

Christ-centred: God loves children, and so do we! His heart for children is at the heart of our commitment to nurture and encourage every Compassion assisted child.

Child-focused: Every child has the right to grow and develop in a safe environment. No violence against children is justifiable. All violence against children is preventable.

Church-based: The local church should be a safe place for children of all backgrounds. Well trained, on-the-ground child advocates play a vital role in protecting vulnerable children from abuse.

God loves children. And so do we!

With more than 1700 passages relating to children in the Bible, children play an important role in God’s Kingdom. The Bible recognises the vulnerability of children to neglect, abuse and injustice, and urges us to not overlook their needs, suffering and presence.

All children are loved by God, and it is vital that they are nurtured and valued in their formative years.

God loves His children, and so do we. That’s why Compassion is deeply committed to child protection.

A global commitment to protect children

In countries that deliver program:

Specialist Child Protection Staff members are employed at each national office.
Background checks and robust child protection training are required for all staff and volunteers who have contact with children and/or child information, including hiring and onboarding for contractors.
Training and community awareness seminars help to educate community leaders, caregivers and parents about child protection practices.
Child protection responsibilities are included in every job description.
Child protection practices are integrated into key processes at all levels: local, national and international.

In Australia:

Background checks and robust child protection training are required for all staff and volunteers who have contact with children and/or child information, including hiring and onboarding for contractors.
Children’s personal information and privacy are protected through rigorous practices.
All relevant checks, including working with children checks and police checks, are undertaken before visitors visit Compassion assisted children.
Trained local staff members accompany visitors to child development centres.
A comprehensive Child Protection Code of Conduct must be agreed to by every visitor from Australia when they visit a Compassion assisted child.

How we ensure children are protected

We are committed to demonstrating effective child protection practices at all levels of the organisation, including:

Providing specific interventions when needed
Providing on-the-ground training for all staff and volunteers
Maintaining a secure, anonymous reporting and follow-up system for abuse and malpractice
Facilitating communication through secure technology
Holding firm to a commitment from the entire organisation to maintain every child and family’s privacy and dignity

Do you have a concern about child protection?

If you have a concern or complaint regarding any of Compassion’s operations or child safety issues in Australia or overseas, please call us on 1300 22 44 53 or email compassion@compassion.com.au.

We take your concerns seriously and will investigate thoroughly and provide you with a response in writing.

If you would like to remain an anonymous whistleblower and make a complaint, we will make every effort to keep your identity confidential and only reveal it where necessary.

Please email your complaint to:

risk@compassion.com.au | chairman@compassion.com.au

FAQs

Why are my sponsored child’s full details still on my old tax receipts on My Account but not on any new material I receive?

Before 2021, you and your sponsored child could see each other’s full names. And that applies to older documents, including tax receipts and other forms. But by removing the surname and applying a higher level of protection from January 2021 onward, we can better protect your sponsored child, your privacy and your information.
The name printed on the letter to my sponsored child is incorrect. What can I do to fix it?

As part of our ongoing commitment to child protection, your privacy and the security of your data, we have implemented new measures to only display or share a child’s preferred name and your first name.

If the first name that is now printed on your letters is not correct, or not the name you are known by, you can change this in your My Account. If you need further assistance, please call us on 1300 22 44 53 and we can help make the appropriate changes.
When is Compassion removing my sponsored child's surname from all materials?

The process of changing to a first-name-only basis will commence in January 2021, but it will take some time to carry through into all Compassion materials.

Letter templates will begin to change from the beginning of 2021, but it may be weeks before you see the change on the letters you receive from your sponsored child. This is because some centres and countries have a quantity of letter templates and other materials with full names on them already in stock; rather than waste them, we want to steward those resources well and use them before the change happens and the new letter templates come into play.

If you have any questions about this change, you can find more information at compassion.com.au/be-informed/child-protection or call us on 1300 22 44 53.
Why can I only see my sponsored child’s first name now?

As part of our ongoing commitment to child protection, your privacy and the security of your data, we have implemented new measures to only display or share a child’s preferred name, and not their full name.

Deciding not to display the children’s surnames on any Compassion material raises the bar on child protection. It means the children are much less likely to be found online or otherwise identified by people who would seek to harm or exploit them.

Also, to better protect your privacy and your information, we will only share your first name (not both your first and last names) with your sponsored child from now on.

Compassion has an obligation to ensure child protection, provide proof of duty of care and due diligence to create a safe environment for every child—and for every sponsor like you.
Can I share my surname with my sponsored child?

Please continue to write letters to your sponsored child. It means so much and is a great way to build your relationship and learn more about each other. Just remember, as you sign your letters, to please use your chosen “preferred name” instead of your full name.

For example, you may prefer to be called Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Or you may prefer to be called Jane and John. However, we ask that you do not include your full name: Jane and John Smith. (Your preferred name will be printed at the top of your letter-writing sheet, to guide you.)