Tamil Nadu   

A helpline that provides the missing link

A few days ago a woman police officer on rounds spotted a 12-year boy walking alone on Chennai Bypass Road near Senthaneerpuram. Enquiries with the teen revealed that he had run away from his house from Kattumannargudi in Cuddalore district.

The police fell back on the support of the Child Line immediately.

The boy, who is said to have run away thrice earlier, was later sent to the Government Children’s Observation Home after being handed over to the Child Welfare Committee.

Days before the incident, came another call, this time from a man hailing from a village near Panruti who was seeking the help of the Child Line in tracing his missing daughter.

The two episodes were among innumerable calls received by the Child Line seeking assistance for children in distress.

And in recent times calls seeking shelter, emotional support and guidance, rescue and medical help for children have increased, say Child Line staff here.

In the last eight months alone, over 300 calls seeking their intervention have been received by the Child Line, a dedicated helpline to respond to the emergency needs of the children.

On an average, 30 to 35 calls are received every month, says A. Manoharan Irudayaraj, coordinator of Child Line, Tiruchi, run by the city-based voluntary organisation Sisters of the Cross Society for Education and Development (SOC-SEAD).

Social workers manning the Child Line see a growing awareness about the helpline and its activities among the public.

Periodic campaigns are being conducted at city schools, during temple festivals, among auto drivers and public call office owners to create awareness about Child Line and its activities.

This apart, open house meetings are conducted at the 20 Children’s Club formed in slum areas in various places within the city, says Manoharan.

Coming to know of Child Line’s work, several parents have also begun to approach it seeking help in either locating their missing child or seeking medical help for their wards.

In the last eight months, 69 calls from parents asking help have been received at the Child Line.

There have also been instances of students calling up Child Line seeking emotional support and guidance to get out of distressing situations.

“With a nation-wide network, information about a missing child that comes to our notice is immediately circulated to all Child Lines functioning in 76 cities through e-mail to look out for the child,” says Manoharan.

“We have recently joined the Home Link Network, which runs a web site for tracing missing children across the country. This will further strengthen our efforts in tracing missing children,” says Sr. Maria Kamalam, Director, SOC- SEAD.

Though the nature of help sought through calls to the Child Line was varied, many of them seek help in restoring run away children to their families.

Between April and November this year, the Child Line has restored 155 run away children to their families, after verifying the bonafides of the claimants.

On many occasions it has been found that children run away unable to put up with drunkard fathers.

Parental reprimands, failure in examinations, influence of peers, broken families and poverty were also often the reason for children leaving the homes.

Once missing children is traced, Child Line workers counsel them and their parents as well to prevent recurrence of such incidents, says Manoharan.

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