CHILDLINE Wayanad is 24 hour toll-free telephone (1098) and emergency outreach service for children under the age of 18 years who are in need of care and protection and it aims to link these children to long-term services in the Wayanad District. CHILDLINE Wayanad is funded by the Indian Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, under their ‘Integrated Programme for Street Children’. CHILDLINE Wayanad is run as a partnership between nodal and colab

Nodal Organization– HiLDA Trust facilitates networking, research, documentation, and training for team members and organizations associated with CHILDLINE, advocacy and lobbying. HiLDA is responsible for the overall functioning of CHILDLINE in the district and its prime objective is that the needs of all the children who call 1098 are addressed and followed up.

CHILDLINE Wayanad has significance in both its geography and its Tribal pocket. Tribal children in Wayanad are the most disadvantaged of children and are frequently victims of physical and sexual abuse, drug and substance abuse, alcoholism, child labour and beggary. Many Tribal children have never attended school, and of those who do, there is a high incidence of dropping-out. Many Tribal children have difficulties using a telephone either not having access to, or not knowing how to use a phone. Public phones in India are booths owned by retailers who often will not permit Tribal children to use their booth, even though the call is free. To overcome this problem CHILDLINE Wayanad has getting the services of 450 Tribal volunteers, so far, to reach out to Tribal children in Wayanad. Another solution to this problem has been to site letterboxes in different colonies to collect the problems of Tribal children.

• Protection of child rights
• Protection of street children and children in distress.
• Service to all children under the age of 18 through toll free telephone service
• Rehabilitation of street children.