Florida Star Academy
This policy explains the standards, boundaries, and procedures Florida Star Academy uses to protect children participating in our educational programs.
Our commitment: Florida Star Academy is committed to creating a safe, respectful, developmentally appropriate, and professionally supervised learning environment for children.
Core rule: Adults working with children through Florida Star Academy must maintain professional boundaries, use approved communication channels, follow safeguarding procedures, and act in the best interest of child safety at all times.
1. Purpose of This Policy
The purpose of this Child Safety Policy is to establish clear standards for protecting children who participate in Florida Star Academy’s programs, classes, online sessions, in-person activities, mentoring, tutoring, communication practice, and related educational services.
This policy applies to all teachers, tutors, Buddies, mentors, staff members, contractors, volunteers, interns, program assistants, administrators, and any other adults who may interact with children through Florida Star Academy.
2. Scope of Our Child Safety Standards
Florida Star Academy’s child safety standards apply to:
- online classes and video sessions;
- one-on-one educational sessions;
- small group classes;
- in-person educational activities, where applicable;
- teacher, tutor, Buddy, mentor, and staff communication;
- parent communication;
- student data and privacy practices;
- recording, monitoring, and quality assurance procedures;
- incident reporting and response.
3. Educational Environment
Florida Star Academy provides educational and developmental programs focused on English speaking practice, communication skills, storytelling, confidence-building, public speaking practice, and related learning activities.
Our goal is to create a learning environment where children feel respected, heard, supported, and emotionally safe to participate at an age-appropriate pace.
Our programs are educational only. They are not therapy, medical treatment, psychological treatment, diagnosis, mental health counseling, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, or clinical intervention.
4. Adult Screening and Eligibility
Florida Star Academy may require adults who work with or have access to children to complete screening procedures before participating in programs involving minors.
Screening may include:
- identity verification;
- criminal background check, where permitted and appropriate;
- sex offender registry check, where available and permitted;
- reference checks;
- education or experience verification;
- interview and suitability review;
- review and acceptance of Florida Star Academy’s child safety standards.
Florida Star Academy may deny, restrict, suspend, or terminate involvement in child-facing activities if safety concerns, incomplete screening, false information, boundary violations, or other disqualifying issues are identified.
5. Professional Boundaries
All adults working with children through Florida Star Academy must maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
Adults may not:
- contact children through personal phone numbers, private email accounts, social media, gaming platforms, messaging apps, or unauthorized channels;
- ask children to keep secrets from their parents or guardians;
- request private photos, videos, social media profiles, home addresses, or unnecessary personal information from children;
- meet a child privately outside approved program activities;
- give personal gifts to a child without parent and program approval;
- share personal emotional burdens with a child;
- engage in romantic, sexual, suggestive, humiliating, threatening, discriminatory, or abusive communication;
- use physical punishment, intimidation, shaming, or coercion;
- continue contact with a child after program participation ends unless expressly approved through official channels and parent involvement.
6. Approved Communication Channels
Program communication should take place through approved Florida Star Academy channels and, where appropriate, with parent or legal guardian involvement.
Parents and legal guardians remain the primary point of contact for scheduling, payments, program updates, consent, safety concerns, and student participation matters.
Teachers, tutors, Buddies, mentors, contractors, volunteers, and staff may not privately communicate with children outside approved program channels.
7. Online Class Safety
For online sessions, Florida Star Academy may use approved video conferencing, learning, scheduling, communication, and educational platforms.
Online safety standards may include:
- parent or legal guardian registration and consent;
- approved meeting links or learning platforms;
- controlled access to online sessions;
- teacher or staff supervision;
- optional or required session monitoring where appropriate;
- rules against unauthorized private chat or contact;
- prohibition on sharing inappropriate images, files, links, or personal information;
- removal from a session if behavior creates a safety concern.
8. One-on-One Sessions
One-on-one educational sessions may be offered when appropriate for the child’s learning needs, communication development, confidence-building, or placement pathway.
To support safety, Florida Star Academy may use one or more of the following safeguards:
- parent or legal guardian consent before participation;
- parent access to scheduling information;
- approved online platform or approved learning location;
- recording or monitoring with appropriate consent, where applicable;
- periodic review by program leadership;
- clear rules prohibiting private communication outside approved channels;
- incident reporting procedures;
- teacher, tutor, Buddy, or mentor code of conduct.
9. Recording and Monitoring
Florida Star Academy may monitor or record certain online sessions for child safety, quality assurance, training, educational review, dispute resolution, or program improvement, where permitted by law and with appropriate consent.
If sessions are recorded, parents will be informed about the nature and purpose of recording, who may access recordings, how recordings are protected, and how long they may be retained.
Recordings, if used, may include video, audio, chat, whiteboard activity, screen sharing, uploaded files, and other session-related content.
10. Student Privacy and Personal Information
Children should not share unnecessary personal information during classes or program activities.
Teachers, tutors, Buddies, mentors, contractors, volunteers, and staff should avoid asking children for information that is not needed for educational participation or safety.
Personal information about children must be handled according to Florida Star Academy’s Privacy Policy, Children’s Privacy / COPPA Notice, and applicable law.
11. Appropriate Conduct During Classes
All program participants are expected to maintain respectful, safe, and age-appropriate behavior.
The following conduct is not permitted:
- bullying, harassment, humiliation, or intimidation;
- discriminatory, hateful, sexual, violent, or threatening language;
- sharing inappropriate images, files, links, or content;
- pressuring a child to speak, perform, or disclose personal information beyond the program’s educational purpose;
- recording or screenshotting sessions without permission;
- disruptive behavior that creates a safety concern;
- using the program to establish unauthorized private contact with a child.
12. Child-Centered Teaching Standards
Florida Star Academy expects adults working with children to use respectful, supportive, and developmentally appropriate teaching practices.
Adults should:
- treat each child with dignity and respect;
- support participation without shaming or pressure;
- use age-appropriate language and activities;
- respect a child’s communication pace and readiness;
- encourage effort, practice, and progress;
- avoid labels, ridicule, public embarrassment, or negative comparison;
- notify program leadership or parents when safety or wellbeing concerns arise;
- follow Florida Star Academy’s professional standards at all times.
13. Reporting Safety Concerns
Parents, legal guardians, students, staff, teachers, tutors, Buddies, mentors, contractors, and volunteers are encouraged to report any concern about child safety, professional boundaries, inappropriate communication, privacy, misconduct, or suspicious behavior.
Reports may be sent to: office@learnandworkflorida.com.
Florida Star Academy will review reported concerns and may take reasonable steps, including contacting a parent, pausing participation, removing an adult or student from a session, restricting access, preserving records, conducting an internal review, or contacting appropriate authorities when required or appropriate.
14. Emergency Situations
Florida Star Academy is not an emergency service provider.
If a child is in immediate danger, experiencing a medical emergency, mental health crisis, or risk of harm, parents or responsible adults should contact emergency services immediately.
If Florida Star Academy becomes aware of a serious or immediate safety concern during a program activity, we may take reasonable steps to protect the child, including contacting the parent or legal guardian, ending the session, documenting the concern, or contacting appropriate authorities where required or appropriate.
15. Mandatory Reporting
Florida Star Academy expects all adults working with children to follow applicable child protection and reporting laws.
If a staff member, teacher, tutor, Buddy, mentor, contractor, volunteer, or other adult becomes aware of information that may require reporting under applicable law, Florida Star Academy may take steps to report the concern to the appropriate authority.
Nothing in this policy prevents any person from contacting law enforcement, child protective services, emergency services, or another appropriate authority when they believe a child may be at risk.
16. Parent and Guardian Responsibilities
Parents and legal guardians help maintain child safety by:
- providing accurate registration and contact information;
- reviewing program policies before participation;
- ensuring children participate from a safe and appropriate environment;
- monitoring children’s online participation as appropriate for age and needs;
- encouraging children not to share private personal information during class;
- reporting concerns promptly;
- informing Florida Star Academy if consent, custody, emergency contact, or participation status changes.
17. Staff Training and Policy Acknowledgment
Florida Star Academy may require adults working with children to review child safety expectations, professional boundaries, privacy requirements, and reporting procedures before participating in child-facing activities.
Adults may be required to sign or electronically acknowledge applicable policies, including the Child Safety Policy, Code of Conduct, Privacy Policy, Background Check Policy, and No Private Contact Policy.
18. Policy Violations
Violations of this Child Safety Policy may result in corrective action, suspension, removal from sessions, termination of contract or employment, restriction from future participation, notification to parents, preservation of records, or reporting to appropriate authorities when required or appropriate.
Florida Star Academy reserves the right to take immediate action when child safety, privacy, or professional boundaries may be at risk.
19. Review and Updates
Florida Star Academy may review and update this Child Safety Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology, program structure, safety practices, or operational needs.
The updated version will be posted on our website with a revised effective date.
20. Contact Us
For questions about this Child Safety Policy or to report a concern, contact:
Florida Star Academy
Email: office@learnandworkflorida.com
Website: https://floridastaracademy.com