The WWFY’s Victim-Centered Response Plan guides employees if a member discloses abuse allegations.
The WWFY recognizes how important it is to have a Victim-Centered Response Plan. The WWFY’s Victim-Centered Response Plan will guide employees if a member discloses abuse allegations. Our response plan is posted on our website under Child Abuse Prevention with contact information to the COO and Director of Childcare and Youth services. Our School Age Childcare (SACC) Parent Handbook and Employee Handbook have contact information and links to our policy as well. Monthly education to members about child protection is sent out via constant contact emails.
Response Plan:
When a member, volunteer or staff member (“Reporter”), discloses an allegation of abuse, a WWFY Program Director, Executive or Human Resources must be notified immediately.
The WWFY Program Director, Executive or Human Resources will speak with the Reporter and document the allegation in an incident report. The incident report must include the name of the Reporter, date of the incident, Reporter contact information and the name of witnesses who may have observed the incident.
When speaking to the Reporter, the WWFY employee must adhere to the following guidelines:
- Listen to the Reporter and show compassion.
- Avoid expressing shock or outrage.
- Thank the Reporter for coming forward.
- Just document the facts; Do not insert your opinion.
The Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) will be the point person to communicate with individuals or their families who may be affected by the incident within 24 hours of the incident being reported. When speaking with the affected individuals or their families, the COO will listen attentively providing compassion and empathy for the situation. The COO will notify the affected individual or their family that the WWFY will provide transparency, confidentiality and ongoing communication as things progress. In addition, the COO will ensure they provide the affected individual with their contact information including their phone number and email address in the instance they need to contact the COO.
After the Incident report has been completed, the employee must provide a copy to the Human Resources Director. The Human Resources Director will speak with the CEO, who will make the decision on the next step, which may include contacting the local authorities.