Three Years of War: Listening to Ukraine’s Children
Three years ago today, Russian forces escalated the conflict in Ukraine into a full-scale war. Since then, millions have endured unimaginable hardship. Our hearts are with all those suffering — both in Ukraine and in every corner of the world where conflict continues to destroy lives. Since the beginning of the war, millions of Ukrainian […]
Children & Young People Affected by the War in Ukraine
Child Helpline Data
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, more than 14 million Ukrainian refugees have crossed borders seeking safety. Child helplines across Europe have expanded their services to cater to the needs of these individuals, offering Ukrainian-speaking counselling services. Together with our child helpline members in Ukraine (La Strada), Poland (FDDS), Hungary (Kék Vonal), Slovakia […]
Suzir’ya: Looking Back on an Incredible Journey
As we approach the conclusion of the reporting period for the Suzir’ya: Ukraine Child Trafficking & Core Crime Prevent and Accountability Project, supported by Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), I want to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared. This project has showcased the resilience, dedication and collaboration of countless individuals, including child helpline […]
Mental Health, Violence, Relationships: Key Insights from 2023 European Child Helpline Data
As the Secretary General of the Swedish child helpline BRIS, and as the Regional Representative for Europe for Child Helpline International, I have witnessed first-hand the profound impact child helplines can have on the lives of children and young people. In 2023 alone, more than a million children and young people reached out for support […]
Amplifying the Voices of Children & Young People in Europe
Key Insights from 2023 Child Helpline Data on Mental Health and Violence
This report brings together data from 2023 from 36 child helplines across Europe, highlighting the essential role they play in supporting children and young people through some of their most challenging experiences. The findings of this report reveal an urgent need for more robust support systems to address mental health and violence – two key […]
Supporting Each Other to Support Ukrainian Children and Young People
2-Day Workshop in Warsaw, Poland
Ukrainian-speaking counsellors from four child helplines – Ukraine’s National Toll-Free Hotline for Children and Youth, Slovakia’s Linka Detskej Istoty, Romania’s Telefonul Copilului 116111 and Poland’s Telefon Zaufania – gathered in Warsaw to share their experiences supporting Ukrainian children and young people. This meeting, part of the Ukrainian Children Voices Phase III project, was funded by […]
A Collaborative Approach to Supporting Ukrainian Children
Suzir'ya Project Sub-Regional Workshop
In Copenhagen earlier last month – in the days leading up to our Regional Consultation of Child Helplines in Europe – our Danish child helpline member Børns Vilkår also hosted a sub-regional workshop as part of a project led by our partners at Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). We invited our former colleague and […]
The Role of Child Helplines in Promoting Children & Young People’s Mental Health Across Europe
29 October 2024 marks 17 years since 116 111 became the harmonized child helpline number across the European Union, expanding over time to 30 European countries. Initiated in 2007 following dedicated advocacy by Child Helpline International and its partners, 116 111 was designed to be a free, accessible child helpline number, providing young people with […]
Supporting Children & Young People’s Mental Health in Europe
Mental health concerns are a major reason why children and young people contact child helplines in Europe. This report presents mental health-related contacts to 30 child helplines across Europe from 2019 to 2022. Child helplines are heavily involved in the prevention, promotion and protection of children’s mental health, through direct counselling, referrals, online campaigns, workshops […]
Addressing the Needs of Ukrainian Child Refugees
Insights from the Community and Country Reports
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, more than 14 million Ukrainian refugees have crossed borders seeking safety, with Europe hosting around 6 million of them – primarily women and children. This has resulted in a high rate of family separation – about 70% – and has left children and young people particularly vulnerable […]