“The Smile of the Child” supported 61.700 children and their families only in the 1st Semester of 2018
PRESS RELEASE
Athens, 11 July 2018
“The Smile of the Child” supported 61.700 children and their families only in the 1st Semester of 2018
“The Smile of the Child” announced its statistics during a press conference that was held today, the 11th of July, at the premises of the Organization. The President of the BoD of “The Smile of the Child” Mr. Costas Yannopoulos said: “Through daily and unequal battles, and with the substantial participation of citizens, companies and our volunteers, we managed to support 61.700 children and their families, in an immediate and holistic way and by ensuring their dignity. Children at risk, children with serious health problems, children with welfare problems, have found a solution with quality and care and not in an ad-hoc basis! We cooperate with the institutional actors. However, once more we call on the State and the competent authorities to act and utilize us, utilize our services, our infrastructure and our people! We won’t be able to respond to the enormous needs as a society, to cover the needs of children and their families in the country, if we do not cooperate. This is the only way and as long as we don’t realize this we will remain accountable to those children in need”.
In the course of the 1st semester of 2018 “The Smile of the Child” and its 481 specialized personnel offered services to 61.700 children and their families in Greece regardless of their ethnicity, religion or any other criterion.
More specifically, according to the statistics of the 1st semester of 2018:
“The Smile of the Child” next to every child victim of Violence:
● The National Helpline for Children SOS 1056 received 120.113 calls. 35,6% of these calls concerned reports for children at risk.
● The National Helpline for Children SOS 1056 received 497 reports of serious cases of abuse related to 854 children. 339 children were between 0-6 years-old. For 428 children these reports concerned neglect/abandonment, whereas in 171 cases of children the mother was the victimizer.
● 72 direct interventions were carried out for 103 children at risk. 73,8% required the immediate removal from their family environment.
● 82 requests for the shelter of 143 children at risk were received. 53% of the cases concerned children in neglect.
● The European Helpline for Children and Adolescents 116111 received 3.020 calls.
● The European Helpline for Children and Adolescents 116111 offered counseling services on issues related to children to 2.160 individuals. 21% of the callers sought guidance from our Organization on issues related to behavioral problems.
● 290 children are currently being raised in the 11 Homes of the Organization nationwide. 18 children became members of our family in 2018.
● 61 of our children over 18 years of age are continuously supported by “The Smile of the Child” parallel to their studies and/or employment.
● 220 children received 2.842 therapeutic services from the multi-disciplinary team of “The House of the Child” Day Center.
● Interactive preventative interventions were carried out for 28.197 children in the framework of 493 visits across Greece with the participation of students, Parents and Guardians’ Associations, Teachers’ Associations and the public.
“The Smile of the Child” next to every Missing Child:
● The European Hotline for Missing Children 116000 received 6.164 calls.
● The European Hotline for Missing Children 116000 received 92 requests for the support in search and rescue operations for missing children. 72 children were found (78.3%).
● Interactive preventative interventions were provided to 814 children, 1.099 parents and guardians and 829 teachers in the framework of 119 visits nationwide with the participation of students, Parents and Guardians’ Associations, Teachers’ Associations and the public.
“The Smile of the Child” next to every child with a Health problem:
● “The Smile of the Child” conducted transfers of 1.504 newborns and children, responding to 3.218 calls and covering 182.090 km! Out of the 1.504 children 322 were newborns and infants.
● 838 children with health problems were supported and the Organization responded to 4.381 requests for support. Out of the 838 children, 229 children had no health insurance!
● 3.810 children participated in recreational activities offered by the Organization through 5.188 actions in 6 Hospitals in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras.
● 169 children received the services of the “Pediatric Care at Home” program in the framework of 1.158 visits of doctors, physiotherapists and nurses.
● 9.141 children were medically examined nationwide and free-of-charge in the framework of 13.023 medical check-ups provided in the 3 mobile medical units of preventive medicine (Multi-medical Unit “Hippocrates”, Dentistry, Ophthalmological and ENT Units). “The Smile of the Child” cooperated with 295 doctors of different specialties and dentists across Greece who volunteered by offering their services for children. From 2002 to 2017 99.923 children were examined!
● 6 families whose children face serious and chronic health problems were provided with the accommodation in two specially designed apartments of the Organization in Athens and in Thessaloniki.
“The Smile of the Child” next to every child who lives in poverty or is threatened by poverty:
● 10.968 children and their families living or threatened by poverty were supported nationwide. In 81,6% of the cases these were families of unemployed parents or parents with an insecure employment status. Out of the total number of children, 1.251 were supported for the first time.
● 48 children were provided with services in the 3 Daycare Homes in Ileia, Agrinio and Mytikas, respectively. 88% of these children took part in this action due to social reasons.
● At the same time, 2.425 children participated in recreational activities offered by the Organization at the Recreational Activities Area of the Organization at the Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”.
For more information, please contact our press team at press@hamogelo.gr or at +210 3306140.