A reception, presentation and discussion at a round table at the White Palace celebrated ten years of SOS Children’s Line in Serbia today.
The tenth anniversary of the National Children’s Line was marked with speeches by distinguished guests, as well as with presenting the results of the work and activities of the SOS Children’s line during the past ten years.
HE Ms Maja Gojkovic, Speaker of the Parliament of Serbia and Chairperson of Parliament Committee for children rights, His Grace Bishop Arsenije of Toplica, Vicar Bishop of Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, Father Leopold Rohmes, Vicar General of Belgrade Roman Catholic Archbishop, Dr Milica Vesic, director of Anti-Doping Agency and members of the diplomatic corps attended the event.
In addition to HRH Crown Princess Katherine, the audience was addressed by the director of UNICEF in Serbia HE Mr Michelle Saint-Lot, Special Advisor for Humanitarian Aid at the Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Social Issues Mrs Beatrice Grozdanic, director of the Centre for children without parental care Mr Zoran Milacic and the director of the National Children’s Line in Serbia Ms Zeljka Burgund.
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Katherine pointed out that her foundation established the first toll free line ten years ago, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Sports, the National Office of the President of the Republic and Telecom company.
“This was the first toll free line in Serbia for children who were the victims of violence. My foundation has since provided technical training from the experts from the United Kingdom and Belgium in preparing local phone advisors for this very important job. Today, twenty five phone advisors are working twenty-four hours a day in shifts. We are very proud of the work and all the achievements of this help line. We want to improve its work, to start working with parents and further develop the children’s phone line. We want to improve the service and help as many as possible children who need help” – said Crown Princess Katherine in her speech.
Mrs Beatrice Grozdanic read a letter by HE Mr Aleksandar Vulin, Minister of Labour, Employment, and Social Issues, who emphasized: “Connection of the National Children’s Line in Serbia with world network of children’s line, with a mission to provide possibilities that voice of every child can be heard, as well as cooperation and complementarity of practice with similar organizations in our country that focus on prevention of child abuse, testifies about the importance and need for further support to this service for children and young people”.
After the official part, at noon, a round table discussion was held on the theme “The role of society in combating violence against children”. Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Katherine, as one of the leading initiators of the SOS Children’s Line in Serbia financed its full operation for 18 months from the moment when the line was established and the Crown Princess Katherine Foundation has been providing the necessary support to the National Child Line for 10 years, assisting in the procurement of computer equipment and providing logistic support.
During the ten years the Children’s Line has received over half a million calls, of which 20,000 were advisory, and in 2013 the number of calls in the attempt was increased.
The Children’s SOS Line is available to all children and young people in Serbia (1.3 million children aged 6 to 18 years), 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and the call is toll free for all mobile network and public payphones. The call is confidential, anonymous and counselling services for children, teens and adults concerned about children is constantly accessible at the number 0800 123456.
The Children’s SOS Line provides counselling services to the standards and principles of the accredited program; mediation to appropriate services and institutions in the system of protection of children’s rights and advocating the voice of children who call the Children’s Line in public. The children are supported with a special emphasis on prevention of violence. The outcome of the advisory conversation is not giving ready-made advice, but establishing a proactive attitude towards the presented issues, as well as a guided process to develop possible options for a solution.
The National Children’s Line now employs 25 trained telephone counsellors: psychologists, social workers, special education teachers, lawyers and health workers who have all undergone special training in telephone counselling, two supervisors who work in shifts, one group supervisor and a director.
