CHILDLINE PROJECT

Child line is national emergency toll free phone outreach service for the Children in need of care and protection operates on the 1098 number and is supported by the ministry of women and child Development (WMCD) Government of India and works in partnership with state governments.

Lokkalyan Charitable Trust (LCT) has been appointed as the collaborative organization for setting up, Managing and monitoring the childline 1098 Service all over the Ssatara District.

Child line 1098 service is cited by the Government of India as Indians Response to commitments under the child Rights convention of the united nations to which India is a signatory.

The service focuses on the needs of children living alone on the streets, child laborers, domestic, workers, run way children, children of sex workers and sexually abused children.

The Basic objectives of the childline services are as follow:

• To respond to children in emergency situations and refer them to relevant Government and non-governmental organization and link them to long Term rehabilitation
• To create a structure which ensures the protections of the rights of thechild as ratified in the UN convention on the Rights of the child and theJuvenile justice (care and protection of children ) Act 2000
• To provide a platform for networking amongst organizations and to strengthen the support systems for children in especially difficult circumstances
• To sensitive agencies such as the public, hospitals, municipal corporations and the railways towards the problems faced by these children.

1098 Events – CHILDLINE open House

Child participation involves encouraging and enabling children to make their views known on issues that affect them. Given the Genesis of the CHILDLINE service, its identity continues to be linked to a deep-rooted vibrant relationship with children. Involvement, respect, best interest of the child, access to information, expression and empowerment are some of the key aspects that come to mind when we think about what the concept of child participation means to CHILDLINE.

Similarly, being a facilitator, listening to children, acceptance and accountability are some of the requirements that emerge while envisioning our role in the process of enabling children to means to CHILDLINE. Similarly, being a facilitator, listening to children, acceptance and accountability are some of the requirements that emerge while envisioning our role in the process of enabling children to meaningfully participate.

CHILDLINEs belief that when children areheard and involved, systematic changes would impact their lives positively has grown even stronger over the decade of its service.

Open House is an open forum for children to raise issues faced by them to the CHILDLINE team. This platform also allows children to heard and seek support of government systems. The allied systems present in a particular are invited to the open House to participate. Held once a month. Open House is a tool for child participation that helps identify problems faced by children and for us to receive feedback on the effectiveness of the CHILDLINE service. CHILDLINE then follows up with decisions taken to reach a logical conclusion.

Some outcomes from the open house

• 22 children were admitted to a government school in municipal school
• More than 10 school dropouts’ were found in a slum area in satara. Most of the children had quit school due to economic conditions. A letter was written to the Education officer by CHILDLINE Team to provide school facilities to these children. Post this intervention a school was set up with teachers in that area. At present 25 children are enrolled in this school.
• An open House conducted in Slum area of satara allowed team to create awareness among the students of Government Middle school on child rights and child protection through a street play.
• Children form village of satara, complained during the open house session that the mid day meals Provided to them was of a low quality and that the meals were not regular .The mid-day meal supplier in all these areas was reprimanded and now all the children receive the meal as per the menu and on a regular basis.
• During the open House programme in satara district the children raised issues such as child Marriage, sewage problem and lack of basic amenities in their school .As a result of the open house session 5 child marriage cases were reported and intervened by CHILDLINE as well as safe drinking water facility was provided by the panchayat. Along with this a plan was decided upon in order to construct the School compound and toilets for the students.

Child protection Issues

• Abuse & Violence
• Trafficking
• Child labour
• Conflict with law

The ChildLine services

• Child Marriage
• Child sexual Abuse
• Without parental care
• Street children
• Birth Registration
• Armed conflicts
• Disability
• Drug Abuse
• Girl child
• HIV-AIDS
• Missing children

CHILDLINE is a national, 24ˣ7, free, phone emergency outreach service for children in need of care and protection, linking them to long term rehabilitation. Any child or concerned adult can call 1098 to access the CHILDLINE service any time of the day or Night.

1. STEP 01 - Child or concerned Adult calls 1098
2. STEP 02 - Gets Connected To the CHILDLINE HELPLINE CENTRE
3. STEP 03 - CHILDLINE Team Rushes to Aid the Child
4. STEP 04 - Child Is provided Rehabilitation and Constant Follow Up

CONNECTING TO CHILDREN

The CHILDLINE service is available to children in 11 blocks in satara District. CHILDLINE 1098 talks to children in need of care and protection and offers comfort to children in distress. LCT not only plays of listening to the child, But also aids in strengthening and moulding existing National child protection Mechanisms.

RESPONDING TO CHILDREN IN DISTRESS

CHILDLINE is a phone outreach based intervention model and the work begins when a call for help comes in. As soon as this happens, local CHILDLINE teams are inform for direct intervention. Intervention covers a range of activities form rescuing children from abuse, providing immediate SOS attention, to registering a case at the police station, presenting a child to the child welfare committee (CWC) in the city, developing the paperwork for onward action as directed by the CWC and so on.

Each case is unique in nature. some take less than an hour to resolve whereas others take months of work. CHILDLINEs operational model involves the team activating linkages to the allied system such as the police, Municipality, Healthcare, Education and Transport Institutions along with Judiciary, Child care NGOs local, state and central Governments. Very often, the team has to provide unique solutions that require a relevant interpretation of legislations such as the Juvenile Justice Act as well as brief allied institutions on exceptional issues.