What Is CHILDLINE?

CHILDLINE is India’s first 24 – hour, free, emergency phone outreach service for children in need of care and protection. . Any concerned adult, or a child in need of help can dial 1098, the toll free number to access our services. We not only respond to the emergency needs of children but also link them to services for their long-term care and rehabilitation.

1098 is not a mere number. 10 - 9 - 8 or CHILDLINE is a countdown to a better life for the street child. It stands for hope, acceptance and happiness. A friendly or sympathetic ‘didi’ or ‘bhaiya’ who is always there for them 24 hours of the day, 365 days of the year.

How CHILDLINE Works:

Child / Concerned

Adult dials 1098

Connected to a CHILDLINE collaborative agency

CHILDLINE team rushes to child within 60 minutes

Child provided rehabilitation, Constant follow up with child

To effectively tackle child protection, CHILDLINE has adopted a three-pronged strategy:

It listens to the child before responding to his or her needs
It conducts sensitization programs with allied systems such as police/ doctors/nurses
It advocates for child friendly systems at a national level

Children Who Call Us:

· Street children

· Child addicts

· Abused children

· Mentally ill children

· Child laborers

· HIV/AIDS infected children

· Differently-abled children

· Child victims of the flesh trade

· Children in institutions

· Child political refugees

· Children in conflict with the law

· Children whose families are in crisis

· Children affected by conflict and disaster

Children call CHILDLINE for:

· Medical assistance

· Shelter

· Missing children

· Repatriation

· Protection from Abuse

· Emotional support & guidance

· Death

· Information about CHILDLINE

· Silent calls and Chat calls

CHILDLINE believes in Partnership

Initiated as an experimental project by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in 1996, CHILDLINE is a unique partnership between the Government of India, UNICEF, Department of Telecommunications,

Voluntary agencies, academic institutes, the corporate sector, children and the community:

Ministry of Women

& Child Development

Academic Institutions

Non-profit Organisations

Street and Community Youth

Concerned

Individuals

Department of Telecommunications

Bilateral/ Multilateral Organizations

Corporate

Sector

· Government of India (GOI): ensures co –ordination, policy decision making and supports CHILDLINE with a partial grant,

· The NGO sector - About 250 NGO’s working in the child protection sector across the country are CHILDLINE’s partners.

· Corporate Sector helps by giving expertise in their key areas, volunteers and funds.

· Academia helps translate the theories into issues, which can be addressed at the policy level,

· And most importantly the Child, the center of this web, plays a vital role in not only providing feed backs of the service, but also gives opinions on key issues of the service.

Initiated as an experimental project in 1996, CHILDLINE currently consists of a growing network of 155 centers across 83 cities in India spreading over 22 States. Like most non-profit organisations creating awareness, responding to every call, providing quality intervention and protection in the absence of sustainable funds is a great challenge. Today, it has taken over 12 million such calls and made a difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of children all over the country. Still millions are left …

In order to find more about us, do log on to: www.childlineindia.org.in

Or contact us at:

East Regional Office:

AB-15, Sector-1, Salt Lake City

Kolkata – 700064, W.B

Tel: 033-40656086: Tel/Fax: 033-23592453

Head office:

CHILDLINE India Foundation
Nana Chowk Municipal School (2^nd Flr.)
Frere Bridge, Low Level
Near Grant Road Station
Mumbai - 400007
Ph:022 -23891098,022 -23881098
Fax:022-23811098