CHILDLINE India Foundation (CIF) has been appointed as the Mother NGO for setting up, managing and monitoring the CHILDLINE 1098 service all over the country. CHILDLINE 1098 service is cited by the Government of India as India’s response to commitments under the Child Rights Convention of the United Nations to which India is a signatory.

At present CHILDLINE is operational in 82 cities/districts in India. Under the XIth Plan CHILDLINE India Foundation has been mandated to extend the CHILDLINE service in all districts of the country as part of the Integrated Child Protection scheme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

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

​The basic objectives of the CHILDLINE Service are as follows:-

• To respond to children in emergency situations and refer them to relevant Governmental and Non- Governmental Organisations and link them to long term rehabilitation.

• To create a structure which ensures the protection of the rights of the child as ratified in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000;

• To provide a platform for networking amongst organizations and to strengthen the support systems which facilitate the rehabilitation for children in especially difficult circumstances;

• To sensitize agencies such as the public, hospitals, municipal corporations and the railways towards the problems faced by these children;

• To provide an opportunity to public to respond to the needs of children in difficult circumstances.

CHILDLINE has responded to a total of 15194271 Calls from inception till December 2008. These calls have been for medical assistance, shelter, repatriation, missing children, protection from abuse, emotional support and guidance, information and referral to services, death related calls etc.

For more information www.childlineindia.org.in

ChildLine (1098) Services in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM