Thursday, October 18, 2007 - 14:00h

Child Helpline

The aim is to prevent abuse
Social Action sets up a helpline and an office to prevent child abuse

The Directorate General for Child and Adolescent Care will set up an office for improving care for children and adolescents. It will be a Unit for the Detection and Prevention of Child Abuse (UDEPCA) and will operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

One of the main tools the new office will have is the telephone number 900 300 777, the Child Helpline. This telephone will operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year. 

The Unit will be responsible for improving the coordination between the administrations and institutions and will enable a faster response to be given at all times and throughout the territory. The new Unit for the Detection and Prevention of Child Abuse will offer the following services:

• Adoption of immediate protection measures and activation of the necessary resources to make them effective in the case of child abuse. 
• Reception of notifications of possible child abuse, facilitating the most suitable intervention for each case. 
• Information, assessment and detection of problematic situations for children and adolescents. 
• Activation of the protocols set up for the protection of children who are victims of abuse. 
• Consultation and control of the Unified Register of Child Abuse (URCA) and of the Information System of Childhood and Adolescence (ISCA) 
• Activation of the Child Abuse Assessment Teams and of other specialised teams (Childhood and Adolescence Care Teams, Technical Teams from Care Centres, etc.).  
• Child and Adolescent Guidance and Mediation Service (CAGMS), for dealing with conflictive situations between the child or adolescent and their family environment.