Child helplines exist in many countries around the world, offering a vital source of support to children and young people in distress. In many cases child helplines also represent an essential component of national child protection systems, bringing together a variety of actors to safeguard children in need. The COVID-19 pandemic has both heightened demand for child protection services and required organisations to adapt their work in order to continue to provide support to children, families and communities.
In these Practitioner Guidance Papers we share the approaches of five Family for Every Child members in adapting existing helplines or setting up new ones during the COVID-19 pandemic: Case Study 1: Voice of Children in Nepal; Case Study 2: Butterflies in India; Case Study 3: Jordan River Foundation in Jordan; Case Study 4: METAdrasi in Greece; and Case Study 5: Praajak in India.
For comprehensive and practical advice on setting up a child helpline and adapting existing helplines to support children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic, see the Technical Note on Child Helplines and the Protection of Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic produced by the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, Child Helpline International, Child Protection Area of Responsibility and Unicef.
