Central to our Theory of Change (ToC) is our commitment as an organization to ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard, to fulfil their rights and to protect them from violence and other harm.
Our long-term objectives are to ensure that children and young people have access to high-quality child helpline services, and that through data collection an evidence base is generated that can influence policymaking, legislation and resource allocations.
Child helplines play a crucial role in the child protection system. The primary components of child protection systems include not only child protection and response services and the non-formal supports offered by families and communities, but also laws and policies, human and financial resources, governance, a means of data collection and system monitoring.
The long-term outcomes that lie within our sphere of influence are that child rights policies and declarations are promoted and implemented and that child protection systems are strengthened and transformed. It is vitally important that child protection actors acknowledge the role of national child helplines in child protection systems and that, through targeted advocacy, the voices of children and young people are amplified nationally, regionally and globally.
The role we have played since our foundation has been that of a “broker” for our members. It can be further defined by five different roles, which we have designated “the 5Ls”.
It begins with listening to the diversity of challenges and demands from members (listening role), then connecting members with each other and with other stakeholders, such as governments, telecom operators, ICT industries, and regulators (linking role). When these connections are made, an exchange process is facilitated regarding information, data, experiences, and expertise. Customised training and new eLearning modules can be jointly developed (learning role). A role that has emerged more recently is related to defining core quality standards and promoting the support of experienced members for less-experienced members (leveraging role). Last but not least, together with our members, we are increasingly positioning ourselves as a key player in improving the child protection system and as an important advocate for children’s rights, due to our unique setup, collective approach to working, and significant impact (leading role).
