We are a collective impact organisation, with member child helplines operating all over the world. Since our foundation in 2003, we have brought together existing child helplines and supported the creation and scaling-up of new child helplines. We have strengthened our network by sharing what we have learned from the best of our child helpline members with all of our child helpline members.
We also collect and analyse data from our members on the contacts they receive from children and young people every year. This data, and the millions of individual stories that support it, tell us how and where in the world children and young people are suffering injustice, abuse and danger, or are in need of support, advice, help or comfort. We then present these stories to policy and decision makers and other influencers and help effect the changes that improve conditions for children in meaningful ways, both globally and locally.
We coordinate information, viewpoints, knowledge and data from our child helpline members, partners and other external sources. This exceptional resource can effect profound change in child protection systems globally, regionally and nationally. We collect, compile and analyse information from our members and use the data to advocate for children and young people around the world. The information comes directly from the children and young people, and the data represents their voices and provides them all with the opportunity to be heard.
We play a key role in fostering collaboration between our members, and our network is an essential element in achieving global and regional impact for children and young people around the world. Every three years we organise an International Consultation of Child Helplines, bringing together our members and strategic partners from all around the world. We also hold Regional Consultations in between times. We focus on developing thematic knowledge and expertise, and on developing the capacity of our members according to their needs. Together, we work on defining clear, representative and transparent core quality standards for child helplines, and the monitoring tools necessary to fulfil these standards.
Our strength comes through our members, working together, and this is also reflected in our governance structure where the highest mandated power is the Assembly of Child Helplines itself. Each and every full member of the network has an equal voice, and the Assembly of Child Helplines meets every three years to give final approval on overall strategy and to appoint Regional Representatives to our Supervisory Board. These five Regional Representatives ensure that the needs of child helplines will always be reflected in our work.
Our members adhere to the four core principles of the UNCRC: non-discrimination; the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. Members also comply with core quality standards as jointly set by the network and commits to our mission and objectives as outlined in our Statutes.
Every year, our Members submit their data on contacts from children and young people. They strive to actively participate in International and Regional Consultations and knowledge-exchange events, and to contribute towards publications, learning tools and surveys and other research activities. Members actively promote the network’s activities.
