Confidentiality Agreement
Background
The children we serve in the orphanages come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Many have experienced neglect, poverty, abandonment, or abuse. However, not every child in an orphanage has been “orphaned” in the traditional sense or is available for adoption.
Each orphanage we support has their own professional staff such as psychologists, social workers, therapists, and directors. These staff members are responsible to work with each child (and when possible, their family) on an individual basis.
The social worker of each respective orphanage works with many parents and guardians to set goals which enable their child to be reunified with the family upon approval of the courts.
If a child is approved for adoption, their case is managed by their respective social worker. OSSO is not an adoption agency and cannot interfere with adoption processes.
OSSO requires all volunteers to respectfully leave this role to the professionals at the orphanages.
Rules
OSSO volunteers are not to discuss a child returning to their family or being adopted (unless given special instructions from orphanage directors and Volunteer Directors). When a child is close to being adopted, the orphanage staff may post a picture of the child’s new family and ask that volunteers help reinforce this idea to help prepare the child.
OSSO requires all volunteers to treat each child’s personal story and information with the highest respect and confidentiality. Often the child’s background is unknown and under investigation. Volunteer Directors will inform the volunteers if they need to know a specific concern from the child’s past to better serve the child. When this information is shared, it will be done privately in the volunteer house. OSSO volunteers are NOT permitted to discuss the child’s past at the orphanage; regardless of age, mental understanding of the child, or language spoken.
If volunteers have a concern or question about a child, it should be addressed with the Volunteer Directors in private at the volunteer house. In the past, volunteers have said comments in English on the orphanage grounds, only for a child to overhear and understand, resulting in emotional damage. The comments are not said to hurt the child, but it often brings up painful memories. OSSO’s volunteers are asked to create the most loving and safe environment for the children we serve. For this reason, we require the highest level of respect and confidentiality with details about the children’s background.