"The Smile of the Child" supported 97,089 children in 2024

PRESS RELEASE

Athens, 23 January 2025

"The Smile of the Child" supported 97,089 children in 2024

Annual report from "The Smile of the Child"

Statistics of the 10 Specialized Action Centers of the Organization

Close to children, families and young people

• supported 97.089 children, which means 266 children per day
• managed 187.165 calls to the 4 Help/Hotlines, involving 513 calls per day
• received reports and/or supported 2 children per 3 days on sexual abuse issues
• received reports and/or supported 2 children per 3 days on bullying issues
• received reports and/or supported 7 children per day for physical and/or psychological abuse and neglect
• supported 2 children every 3 days on suicidal issues
• carried out actions and prevention interventions for 228 students every school day* on issues of violence, abuse, bullying, missing, runaways, etc.
• transferred 10 newborns and children every day
• provided preventive medical and dental check-ups to 28 children daily
• covered 27 requests from children with health problems daily
• supported 42 children with welfare problems and their families daily
• searched for 2 children every 3 days and 1 adult every 2 days
• carried out 1 on-site intervention every 2.5 days for children at immediate risk

On Thursday, January 23, 2025, the established annual report for 2024 of the work of “The Smile of the Child’s” (10) Action Centers was presented during a press conference at the Panhellenic Coordinating Operational Center for Direct Social and Medical Intervention "ANDREAS YANNOPOULOS".

Mr. Costas Yannopoulos, President of the Board of Directors of "The Smile of the Child", noted: "The Smile of the Child", faithful to accountability and transparency, once again presents the Report on the work and actions of its 10 specialized Centers for the year 2024. It all started 29 years ago, from a 10-year-old child, Andreas, and today we are here with our 10 Specialized Action Centers, our international and national partnerships, complementing the institutions of the state, and providing holistic actions, actions that are reflected in measurable data.

Through the statistics we present, the daily life of "Smile" is essentially unfolded, the problems of children and families in need are highlighted, which we are called upon to cover in every part of the country, every moment, as is our struggle to find solutions.

As you will see, "The Smile of the Child" for one more year and even more intensively in 2025, invests in prevention, which is a one-way street if we really want to tackle phenomena that are taking huge dimensions in society, such as violence, delinquency of minors, as well as their abuse and neglect.

A specialized team of scientists is present daily in schools all over the country, making prevention interventions to students, parents, teachers, we operate Day Care Homes where we take care of children and support their families in crisis, and much more that you can see in our detailed statistics.

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In closing, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart our 7.888 volunteers, 364 of whom are children, who have actively participated in our work, making a decisive contribution to its achievement, and of course our valuable supporters, both individuals and businesses."

Here are the key points of each Center’s 2024 action report as presented by the ten coordinators:

1. Helplines & Hotlines

• 187.165 phone calls to: National Helpline for Children SOS 1056, European Hotline for Missing Children 116000, European Helpline for Children and Adolescents 116111, National Hotline for Missing Adults 1017
• Average waiting time 12 seconds
• Data extracted from RTEL World - Wallboards & Dashboard

Thank you to the Technology Team for Children for ensuring that the Organizaiton’s networks and services are continuously upgraded with technology so that it can more effectively support every child in need and at risk in the country. The Team ensures that “Smile’s”  work is carried out in the best, technologically sound, way possible.

2. National Center for Abuse & Exploitation

• Through Cybertipline Hellas, 493 reports of serious cases of abuse and neglect of 637 children
• Support for 1.018 children victims or involved in trafficking incidents
• 1.336 reports of serious cases of abuse and neglect of 2.390 children (physical abuse for 873 children, sexual abuse for 132 children, neglect / abandonment for 1.072 children, psychological / emotional abuse for 245 children)
• Support for 296 women victims of domestic violence and their 465 children
• 138 on-site interventions for 234 children at immediate risk
• Counselling to 1.862 on child abuse and exploitation, delinquency, peer relations, mental health, etc.
• Psychotherapeutic services through the Day Center "House of the Child" to 116 children victims of abuse, neglect, domestic violence, victimized children, children involved in bullying incidents
• Interactive interventions with 5.890 children, 1.014 teachers, 1.622 parents and guardians, 311 professionals on issues of abuse and exploitation, children's rights

3. National Center for Missing Children & Adults

• Interactive interventions with 770 children, 230 teachers, 503 parents and guardians
• 247 requests to support search investigations for 214 missing children
• 70% of teenage children go missing and of these 64% are girls
• Main causes are relationships within the family, relationships with the opposite sex
• The Amber Alert Hellas mechanism was activated for 26 children
• The Search and Rescue Team "Thanassis Makris" was mobilized for 24 children
• The average time to find the children was less than a week after their disappearance

• 164 requests to support search investigations for 164 missing adults.
• Main causes are Diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health issues, Substance/Alcohol
• The MISSING ALERT system was activated for 77 missing adult incidents.
• For 27 people the Search and Rescue Team "Thanasis Makris" was mobilized

4. Center for Violence & Bullying

• Counselling to 211 children on bullying issues
• Interactive prevention interventions on bullying issues to 35.701 pupils, 2.776 parents and guardians, 1.206 teachers, 91 professionals (22% increase compared to 2023)
• Reports on Bullying issues on Cybertipline Hellas for 15 children

Thank you to NOYNOY Gouda for covering the Interactive Interventions Programme for the prevention, awareness and combating of inter-school violence and bullying in schools across the country.

5. Center for Internet Safety

• Through Cybertipline Hellas reports on 10 children on issues of cyberbullying and sextortion
• Support for 3 children regarding f online sexual abuse material - exploitation of minors, in cooperation with the Cybercrime Unit of the Hellenic Police
• Interactive interventions to 6.712 children, 110 teachers, 667 parents and guardians, 21 professionals on safer use of the Internet
• Management of online risk incidents for 114 children. The main causes were problematic Internet use and online sexual blackmail – sextortion

6. Care Homes

• 47 requests for shelter for children at risk involving 87 children
• Support for 80 young people, now adults, raised in the Organization’s Homes
• A total of 158 children were accommodated in the Care Homes
• 56 children and their families were supported in the Day Care Programme

We would like to thank DEI for covering part of the operation of our Organization's Care Home in Moschato, Attica.

7. Center for Health Services

• 752 children participated in the recreational activity program in hospitals as new admissions
• 3.645 newborns and children and 2.375 adults were hospitalized
• 1.280 children with health problems were supported holistically by responding to 9.869 requests
• 222 children were examined in the 2 Social Polyclinics of the Organization
• 13.027 preventive medical and dental examinations were provided to 10.375 children
• 367 children benefited from the Pediatric Home Care Programme and 22.173 requests and medical procedures were met and carried out

Thank you to OPAP for covering the Preventive Medicine and Dentistry Program for children across the country.

We thank Lidl Hellas for covering the Recreational Activity Program for hospitalized children in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras.

We thank INVENTOR, which covers part of the operation of the Social Polyclinics for children.

8. Center for Vulnerable Families, Children and Youth

• Holistic support provided to 15.402 children
• The families were (15 % large families, 41.5 % single-parent families, 67.2 % with unemployed parents or in precarious employment)
• Responded to 15.827 requests for material support (food, clothes, toys, baby equipment, furniture, etc.)
• Referral of 469 families to the Center for Health Services
• referral of 1.131 beneficiaries to the National Helpline for Children SOS 1056 for counselling
• 5.528 requests, referrals, linkages, educational and social needs were handled
• 2.488 hours of counselling were provided

9. Academy for Education and Training “Smile Academy”

            Education & Training was provided through Smile Academy to:

• 411 employees of the Organization
• 638 volunteers
• 14 children of vulnerable families
• 5.776 students, teachers, parents and guardians
• 336 professionals

Thank you very much to UEFA FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN and the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO)

for the support of the Academy for Education and Training “Smile Academy”

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10. Center for Crisis Management

• 51 requests for support for missing persons investigations
• Participation in exercises, indicatively: Exercise with the Navy at Fort Skaramanga with an earthquake scenario, with injuries and search for people with our Canine Team - Regional Exercise MINOAS 2024 in Crete, joint operation with the Hellenic Defense Forces/DIKAFKA - Earthquake exercise with Hot/Helpline personnel and the transfer of the Center to the Recovery Disaster Area of El Venizelos Airport - Exercise with the Navy at Fort Skaramanga with a fire scenario with injuries and search for people with our Canine Team
• Operation in emergency situations e.g. fires in East Attica

Photos of the Press Conference

https://hamogelo-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/nikosyannopoulos_hamogelo_gr/EvSftGmTGl5Dul43Z9q1AGcBsqeqM76w6ArOUAgXNR9F3w?e=CASmmD

Watch the Press Conference

https://www.youtube.com/live/o0iNLuFrrNo?si=1e5ZQRvbixL7qxgn

Information:

"The Smile of the Child" - Press Office

press@hamogelo.gr

Tel. 11040 (local rate)