What started off as a single city emergency phone outreach service for children in distress, in Mumbai, way back in 1996, has expanded to 400 cities today and will soon reach over 650 cities, covering every district in the country. More than 160 million children in our country face serious challenges due to poverty, abuse, exploitation, displacement, abandonment, and a host of various child rights violations. They do not often know where to turn to for support when they face serious difficulties. The silver lining is that any child or a concerned adult can dial 1098 in the above cities and report a problem. Childline will intervene and if necessary personally visit the child in less than an hour and address the issues to ensure that the child is safe, secure and happy.
Childline is the largest child protection network in the country partnering nearly 750 civil society organizations and fielding nearly 30,000 calls daily. Childline has already responded to more than 40 million calls till date. The heart-warming aspect is that a call can change the life of a child!