i - i n d i a

Child Line

1098

Free 24-hour emergency helpline for children in crisis

Child Line is a 24-hour emergency phone service for children in difficult circumstances. Any child in crisis can dial 1098 free of cost and speak to a friendly, experienced counsellor. The service supports any child below the age of 18 who is injured, sick, exploited, abused, in danger, or lonely.

Street children
Railway station children
Children from family backgrounds
Parents seeking missing children

1,470
Interventions in 2015–16

666
Children rescued in Jaipur in 2015–16

366
Cities & districts across India

Child Line in action

Child Line counsellors and field staff responding to children in need across Jaipur.


How it works

What Happens When a Child Calls

Information & advice
Many children who call simply require information, advice, or someone to listen.

Emergency response
In more serious cases, i-India sends out its ambulance. Sometimes only medical care is needed, but where a child has been abandoned or has run away from home, intervention is often required.

Family reunification
Child Line personnel attempt to locate the child’s family and reunite them whenever possible. If not possible, or not in the child’s best interests, the child can stay indefinitely in one of i-India’s homes.

Referral
In some cases, a child may also be referred to another concerned organisation best placed to help.


About Child Line

A National Safety Net Since 1996

Child Line represents a safety net for thousands of children every year. It was established in 1996 in Mumbai by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and now operates in 366 cities and districts across India.

The service began in Jaipur in 2000, and its primary operator there is i-India. i-India has an excellent track record in running the program, and police and hospitals frequently call on behalf of children needing assistance.

The service operates 24 hours a day from an office on the Child Inn campus. Staff are also engaged in public awareness and outreach activities.

The CHILDLINE project is supported by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS).