“CHILDLINE”commenced in 1996 as a telephone line, manned by Social activists, on which children in distress could call in any time of the day or night. Steadily, the service grew and by June 1998, it was supported by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJ&E), Government of India making the CHILDLINE service the 24-hour tele-helpline, that would land any child’s call on the nearest CHILDLINE call centre. The 1098 was a well chosen number, in Hindi it became “dus-nao-aaght” a simple easy number for children to remember.

The CHILDLINE Model

CHILDLINE is a crucial link between children in need of care and protection and the available services in India.For children with different needs, who call in anytime, anywhere, and for anything, we act as a one-point contact which facilitates instant access to support, advice, active intervention or just a listening ear.

The service

CHILDLINE team receives a call about a child who needs help

Response of team

On phone: (Emotional support and guidance, information and referral to services for the caller,information about CHILDLINE)

Or/and

Direct assistance:(medical, shelter, protection from abuse, repatriation, death, missing children, intensive counseling)

Long-term rehabilitation

After the emergency needs of the child have been addressed, CHILDLINE explores options with the child to study, learn a trade, go back home etc. based the need. Depending on the decision of the child, CHILDLINE links the child to an appropriate organisation in the city.

Our teams in each city, physically reach the child, provide SOS attention and refer the child to long term rehabilitation programmes suitable for him. This combines ‘on the ground intervention’ with technology to create a single window service. The service is available in 83 cities and in 12 years, has reached over 3 million children.

Children we help

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.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, has appointed CHILDLINE India Foundation (CIF) as the nodal agency for initiating and sustaining CHILDLINE's across the nation.. CHILDLINE is India's first national level response to the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CHILDLINE 1098 service receives special mention in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2000 and acts as a catalyst in bringing together state agencies and voluntary agencies at the local level to ensure implementation of the Act. We strive to sensitize allied systems like the police, hospital staff, railway officials, etc through workshops, trainings or just meeting with them, to ensure a Child Friendly environment. The CHILDLINE service has now been recognized as part of the XIth Plan, and is supported under the ICPS program of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, for expansion to all 597 districts of India over the next few years.

During the earthquake in Kutchin 2001, and Tsunami disaster in 2004, the CHILDLINE service expanded it's scope to touch the lives of children in the affected areas, thus responding to children in disaster situations. This was so effective that CIF was asked to setup service in Jammu and Kashmir during the recent earthquake there. Similarly in the recent Bihar Floods, the CHILDLINE service is in the thick of relief works, particularly for children.To know more about the work we do and support us, do visit us at https://www.childlineindia.org.in.