The idea of Childline took root in 1993 when Jeroo, then a professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, opened negotiations with the Juvenile Act Protection Unit of the police to use the Mumbai police control room for an emergency telephone service for the city's street… Read more
The idea of Childline took root in 1993 when Jeroo, then a professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, opened negotiations with the Juvenile Act Protection Unit of the police to use the Mumbai police control room for an emergency telephone service for the city's street children. At that time, Childline was an experimental project of TISS, among a series of action-based programs to provide on-the-ground experience in its courses. Police stolidity, however, led Jeroo to switch tactics. In 1993 she approached MTNL for a toll free number, and 1098 came a year later.
Client awareness was the greatest challenge for Childline. Free, easy, 24-hour access to the phone would look like an elitist luxury: "Would Childline serve rich children first?" Such suspicion had to be purged, and then strategies were designed to deter street children from abusing the service. Bringing service organizations in the field into a common platform was another challenge.
Through day contact centers maintained by service organizations, Childline marshaled together volunteers who they trained as volunteers. The volunteers then conducted exhaustive awareness and outreach programs for their peers in natural "hang out" places. They encouraged other children to dial 1098 and test Childline.
Simultaneously, Childline created an exhaustive database of supports and services available in Mumbai for street children and invited them all to participate in Childline's structural conception and the launch of its service in the city.
Childline's architecture matches that collaborative spirit. Partner organizations that work with street children supply the infrastructure in the form of receiving centers where calls to 1098 are directed and where night shelter is available; they also assume responsibility for managing the volunteer staff of street children. Each of the facilities has two dedicated Childline phones and houses seven Childline members. Two of the volunteers attend to calls every seven-hour shift. Standby-staff from the organization man the phones if Childline members have to rush out for case follow-up. In addition to the primary receiving centers, Childline maintains a referral network of support agencies or organizations that provide service to calls directed to them by a Childline partner agency. Their principal role is to undertake long-term follow-up and rehabilitation. Each is allotted a specific geographical area where it conducts outreach and awareness programs. They also provide access to government systems. TISS has had an ongoing support role that includes designing information management, training documentation, advocacy, and liaising with collateral agencies such as the police and the health system.
Sensitization of collateral agencies like the police and the state health care systems were vital and opened doors to crucial partners. For example, in a police training workshop organized by the Childline and the Coordination Committee for Working Children, 505 police personnel participated. The workshop flagged off the Chacha Police ("uncle" Police) program which aims to turn around the demonic stereotype of the police that the street children carry in their minds and give the police officer a humane, friendly face. Sustained workshops with the police have led to growing membership of the Chacha Police Club. And Childline's clientele and members have reported positive interaction and quick support with this new friendly band.
Similarly, systemic awareness drives with health officials later assisted prompt follow-up services to distress callers and will pave the way for concrete health interventions.
Jeroo emphasizes close monitoring and documentation. Through computer databases that street children can use and especially designed call registers, every call received by a Childline volunteer is recorded. Jeroo belongs to a "think tank" which engages constantly with the telephone department to identify and plug technical glitches, conducts regular dialogue with clients (street children and concerned adults), and encourages – for Childline and all its partner organizations – quality-control processes devised for tracking and monitoring the service's effectiveness. To expedite external, objective monitoring, Jeroo plans to place students from academic institutions into Childline centers for fieldwork experience and research analysis.
As Childline spreads nationally, Jeroo is planning to design an online database system. All national partners could then access this database at any time. Within ten years she plans to replicate the model in 158 cities, a task with which she is being assisted by UNICEF and CRY (Child Relief and You). Childline has put together exhaustive, easy-to-use manuals and guidelines based on its experiences in Mumbai to facilitate the process.
In order to match Childline's national growth with greater organizational and staff capacity, Jeroo plans to make the program independent of TISS in 1999. As the phone service replicates, she will set up a Childline national board that will oversee the process.
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