1098 Child Line Night & Day

CHILDLINE 1098 SERVICE

The calls would come late in the night. 

"Didi, can you come? There's been a fight at the station."

"Didi, can you help? The police have battered Raju."

And a CHILDLINE volunteer would get up and rush out to where a street child was waiting. On one of those dashes across the sleeping city of Mumbai , an idea was born.

What street children in Mumbai needed was a helpline, their own
helpline.

In 1996, Mumbai launched CHILDLINE, the country's first toll-free tele-helpline for street children in distress. It has responded to over 13 million calls from children who live and work in Mumbai , and has grown into a national child protection service that operates in 83 cities. In 12 years, CHILDLINE has worked with over 3 million children in need of care and protection.

1098 Tele Helpline Model 

CHILDLINE stands for a friendly 'didi' or a sympathetic 'bhaiya' who is always there for vulnerable children 24 hours of the day, 365 days of the year. 17 million calls as off Dec. 2009 , 3 million children, 83 cities, 12 years.

A phone number that spells hope for millions of children across India, CHILDLINE is India's first 24-hour, free, emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance. Whether you are a concerned adult or a child, you 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. We have, to date, reached out to over three million children across the nation through such calls.

CHILDLINE is a platform bringing together the Ministry for Women & Child Development, Government of India, Department of Telecommunications, street and community youth, non-profit organisations, academic institutions, the corporate sector and concerned individuals.

We work for the protection of the rights of all children in general. But our special focus is on all children in need of care and protection, especially the more vulnerable sections, which include:

• Street children and youth living alone on the streets
  
• Child labourers working in the unorganised and organized sectors
  
• Domestic help, especially girl domestics
  
• Children affected by physical / sexual / emotional abuse in family, schools or institutions.
  
• Children who need emotional support and guidance
  
• Children of commercial sex workers
  
• Child victims of the flesh trade
  
• Victims of child trafficking
  
• Children abandoned by parents or guardians
  
• Missing children
  
• Run away children
  
• Children who are victims of substance abuse
  
• Differently-abled children
  
• Children in conflict with the law
  
• Children in institutions
  
• Mentally challenged children
  
• HIV/ AIDS infected children
  
• Children affected by conflict and disaster
  
• Child political refugees
  
• Children whose families are in crises
  

The Vision that Moulded CHILDLINE
A child - friendly nation that guarantees the rights and protection of all children.

Case Study

•  Rescue from Child Labour

In this intervention, CHILDLINE Patna received information that six children from Katihar were being brought to Patna to work as child labourers. The team sprang into action and the police nabbed four traffickers and six children between the ages of 10 to 12 years. A FIR was lodged and the traffickers were booked under the Indian Penal Code, Child Labour Act, Juvenile Justice Act and the Bonded Labour Act. The matter was also brought to the notice of the CWC. A large scale networking exercise between the labour department, senior superintendent of police of Patna , station master of Patna railway station, the DM of Patna and the police stations of Katihar and Kishanganj resulted in the children being restored to their homes with minimum delay.

 Source:www.childlineindia.org.in