Developing a Child Protection Policy Framework for Early Childhood Education Centres in Plateau State

Early childhood education centres have a statutory duty to protect children in their care, yet most centres in Plateau State operate without formal child protection policies, leaving children vulnerable to preventable harm in North Central Nigeria. This study developed a child protection policy framework for ECDE centres in Plateau State, drawing on regulatory review, consultations with 15 ECDE proprietors and 10 state child protection officers, and benchmarking against UNICEF child protection in education standards and the Child Rights Act 2003. Assessment confirmed that formal child protection policies were absent in 85 percent of surveyed centres, that reporting procedures were unknown to 74 percent of teachers, and that no centre had a designated child protection focal person. The policy framework developed encompasses seven mandatory policy components: child protection philosophy statement, definitions of abuse and neglect, teacher reporting obligations and procedures, safe recruitment standards, code of conduct for all staff, child participation rights, and complaints and whistleblowing mechanisms. Implementation guidance, sample forms, and an annual policy review checklist are provided. Expert review by 10 child protection specialists confirmed the framework's legal alignment and operational usability. Recommendations include the Plateau State Ministry of Education mandating framework adoption as a condition of school registration, annual compliance verification in all school inspections, and free teacher training workshops delivered by the state child welfare agency.

Keywords: child protection policy, ECDE centres, Plateau State, child safeguarding, early childhood governance