CHILDLINE project strengthening Child Protection Service during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala.

CHILDLINE 1098 was the national emergency helpline and crisis response service, exclusive for children in distress. It works in a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, under the ambit of Mission Vatsalya (erstwhile Integrated Child Protection Scheme).

The programme is a Pilot initiative of CHILDLINE India Foundation (CIF) being implemented in 5 districts of Kerala (Trivandrum, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kasargod) in partnership with Leher. The programme is supported by Buimerc India Foundation. The programme aims to enable the local panchayats and civil society organizations to create a safe environment for all children through increased awareness about child rights, child protection mechanisms, laws, and schemes among children, adults, and duty bearers. CHILDLINE India Foundation in collaboration with technical partner Leher provides timely support and guidance to the CHILDLINE partner network and functionaries to ensure the quality of programme delivery and documentation of activities undertaken.

The districts for the programme have been selected based on the mapping of vulnerabilities of children in the panchayats and the willingness of the panchayats’ officials to take up innovative programmes for children. Major Child protection issues and concerns reported from these panchayats are- physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, and child sexual abuse. The majority of the people in the panchayats belong to middle-class households and fare average in their education and income levels. Parents in most of the families are engaged in agriculture labor, daily wages, and fishing-related jobs and few heads of families are working abroad.

• The aim of the programme was to enable the local panchayats and civil society organisations to create a safe environment for all children
• To increase awareness about child rights, child protection mechanisms, laws, schemes among children.