Minimizing violence through quality control: Monitoring & Evaluating 116000 Hotlines to prevent, support and protect missing children

The Smile of the Child participated as an associate partner in the project entitled “Minimizing violence through quality control: Monitoring & Evaluating 116000 Hotlines to prevent, support and protect missing children’ that was implemented under the coordination of “Missing Children Europe” with financial support from the DAPHNE III Programme of the European Union.

In the framework of the project “Minimizing violence through quality control: Monitoring & Evaluating 116000 Hotlines to prevent, support and protect missing children” realized by Missing Children Europe (MCE) with funding from the EU, the “European Hotline for Missing Children 116000” operated in Greece by “The Smile of the Child” was evaluated among other nearly 20 116000 hotlines in other European countries.

Independent evaluators, through meetings, detailed questionnaires and an on-site evaluation visit to the Operational Center of the Hotline 116000 in Athens, and having considered the following criteria:

  • Identity
  • Organization’s Structure and management
  • Operational Management
  • Cooperation
  • Communication
  • Funding and Audit
  • Cross-border procedures

certified the Organization “The Smile of the Child” with the maximum score of 100% on the service quality criteria laid down in the accreditation process.

The evaluators in the final report pointed among other issues:

  • The Hotline is staffed with well-trained and specialized scientific staff (Social Workers and Psychologists), and implements excellent procedures supported by an equally qualitative equipment.
  • Not surprisingly, it is widely recognized and appreciated by state services and the general public.
  • The human resources of the Hotline provide phone call support and direct assistance on the undertaken cases. The same person who receives the first phone call on a case “follows” the case thereafter.
  • A state-of-the-art CRM system allows instant caller identification with full caller’s history-if the call has been repeated.
  • There are standard procedures used to record missing children incidents on the Organization’s software and to spread information to supervisors, colleagues and following shifts.
  • A complete disaster recovery unit exists (something extremely rare for national standards).
  • “The Smile of the Child” faces a very demanding challenge this period, having to deal with the refugee crisis as well. Thousands of refugees, many arriving with their children in Greece, have immense needs and there are even several cases of missing cases of children separated from their parents at some point of their travel, mostly by accident. A network of volunteer interpreters/mediators is mobilized every time an incident occurs.
  • “The Smile of the Child” relies on private donors for its experience and growth, therefore a further deterioration of the national economy would be the only element that could threaten its way.

The European Hotline for Missing Children 116000, institutionalized on the EU-level upon an initiative of “The Smile of the Child”, operates in Greece from 2007. The modus operandi and the structure of 116000, recognized on a European scale, is the result of the experience and know-how of “The Smile of the Child”, the expertise of its human resources, the sponsoring support received from the largest technology companies, and the cooperation and recognition from competent institutional actors and public authorities, as well as the trust of the citizens.

With financial support from the DAPHNE III Programme of the European Union


For more information please contact us at the e-mail address: projects@hamogelo.gr