Direct Intervention for the immediate protection of refugee children at risk in Greece
29 January 2019
Direct Intervention for 22 refugee children was carried out from April to December 2018 with the support of DG ECHO
© The Smile of the Child
In the framework of the longstanding actions of “The Smile of the Child” for the protection of all children, the direct intervention capacity of the Organization constitutes an integral part of the services provided in order to mobilize all necessary mechanisms and procedures for children at immediate risk and in need of support and assistance.
The action of direct intervention is carried out in close cooperation with all the competent law enforcement and prosecutorial authorities. The Organization receives hundreds of calls for children at risk on a daily basis, 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year. When our staff receives information or a specific report at our call center, we pass along this information immediately to the competent Police and Prosecutorial authorities. At the same time, the specialized social workers and psychologists of “The Smile of the Child” stand next to the child in order to accompany him/her to a safe environment.
Until the child is placed in a protective environment, the presence of our volunteers as well as our interpreters, if necessary, is crucial for providing care and recreational activities at the hospital. Subsequently, our staff cooperates with all the competent public authorities and services in order to ensure a solution for the accommodation and protection of the child.
With the funding of the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations of the European Union (DG ECHO), “The Smile of the Child” contributes to the immediate protection of refugee and migrant children at risk in Greece. In the framework of the “Direct and Holistic Medical and Psychosocial Intervention for Refugee and Migrant Children in Danger in Greece” project, the social workers and psychologists of the Organization carried out from April to December 2018 direct interventions for 22 refugee/migrant children in immediate danger.
Direct interventions take place all across Greece, 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year. Its services are activated from the Athens-based Operational Emergency Center of “The Smile of the Child” where all the mechanisms and tools are coordinated in cases of emergency situations and cases of children at immediate risk, including the operation of the National Helpline for Children SOS 1056, the European Hotline for Missing Children 116000 and the European Helpline for Children and Adolescents 116111.
Learn more about the “Direct and Holistic Medical and Psychosocial Intervention for Refugee and Migrant Children in Danger in Greece” project here.
