Helpline Directory
A child helpline enables children and young people to contact someone in an emergency and non-emergency situation, and aims to be accessible around the clock and free of charge. It provides supportive information or directly links children to immediate rescue and safety.

 

A child helpline is a telecommunication and outreach service designed for children and young people aged 0-25 years. It is accessible to all children whenever they require assistance or just need someone to talk to about issues that are affecting them. A child helpline places children and their protection as its core principle, providing (emergency) assistance and linking children to long-term services.

 

Child helpline services

The types of services that a child helpline offers reflects the diversity of child helplines themselves, and often the infrastructure of the country. For example, in India it is commonplace that children can post letters in special collection boxes, wheras in the Netherlands new technology enables children to ‘chat’ online with counsellors. Child helplines never work in isolation. They link children to other services according to the needs of the child, working closely with existing social services in the country. We cannot expect children to know about all the services available to them, especially when they are trapped in a distressing situation. A child helpline plays a valuable role and is seen as the central point to link children to the correct services. If the child helpline cannot help the child directly, the child will always be referred to the services that best serve their needs.