Street children crisis overview

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 seeks to support any child below the age of 18 who is injured, sick, exploited, abused, in danger, or lonely. They may be street children living on the pavement or at railway stations, or children from regular family backgrounds. Parents also often call in search of a missing child.

During the year 2015–16, Child Line carried out 1,470 interventions. The dedicated Jaipur Child Line team rescued 666 children from different critical situations and provided protection to them during the year.

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

Child Line personnel attempt to locate the child’s family and reunite them whenever possible. If this is not possible, or not in the child’s best interests, the child can stay indefinitely in one of I-India’s homes. In some cases, a child may also be referred to another concerned organisation.

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/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).