Supplier Responsibility
For more than 50 years, Kids2 has been committed to providing quality products and observing high ethical standards in the conduct of our business. We promote honesty, integrity, accountability, and compliance with laws as core values within our culture. All levels of employees within the company agree and acknowledge that employment is conditional upon the adherence to and compliance of the highest standards, business practices, and requirements of ethical conduct and that employees’ conduct and ethics must be above reproach at all times. We respect the personal dignity and individual worth of every human being and comply with all applicable human rights laws.
We regard supply chain security as a matter of critical importance through participation in the C-TPAT program, which requires working with Customs and Border Protection to protect the supply chain, identify security gaps, and implement specific security measures, including a 7 point inspection of every container before it is loaded and recording the actual loading and sealing of the containers. All of our suppliers undergo a SCAN (Suppler Compliance Audit Network) or an annual GSV (Global Security Verification) audit conducted by third-party auditors. The audits address all C-TPAT related activities to ensure a secure supply chain.
Our product manufacturers must certify and demonstrate compliance with our Supplier Code of Conduct, which includes mandatory ethical standards. These standards absolutely prohibit involuntary labor, human trafficking, and slavery. Additionally, our suppliers are required to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and mandatory industry standards relevant to the countries where our products are sold. Before starting a business relationship with a factory, we audit the factory to ensure compliance with these requirements.
We routinely audit our suppliers’ factories to ensure the quality and safety of our products and verify compliance with the Supplier Code of Conduct and applicable laws. In some instances, these audits are performed by third-party organizations. Audits are generally conducted on an announced basis but may occasionally be conducted unannounced. Further, all our suppliers are subject to annual social compliance audits (e.g., ESCP, SMETA, BSCI) conducted by third-party auditors. These social compliance audits verify that our suppliers have systems and procedures in place to combat involuntary labor, human trafficking, and slavery.
If we learn that our suppliers are not complying with our Supplier Code of Conduct, including the prohibition against involuntary labor, human trafficking and slavery, the violators are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of the business relationship. Additionally, any of our supply chain employees who facilitate or conceal any such violations would also be subject to disciplinary action.
Every member of our supply chain staff receives training on our Supplier Code of Conduct and its prohibition against involuntary labor, as well as our processes for ensuring supplier compliance.
