ATHENS – “The Smile of the Child” announced its annual statistics, on Tuesday, the 25th of February 2020, during a press conference held at the Panhellenic Center for Health and Social Care. More specifically, the Organization presented the total number of children supported through its wide spectrum of actions and services for children victims of violence, missing children, children with serious health problems and children and families living in poverty or threatened by poverty.

“The Smile of the Child”, always committed to the principles of transparency and accountability to its supporters and the entire society, presents today its annual statistics, reflecting the extent of our daily struggle to offer support to all children and families in need. Through coordinated effort, the example of our professionals and thousands of volunteers and their dedicated passion, we managed to support with quality and in a holistic manner 95,717 children. We also managed to offer solutions 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and all across Greece by mobilizing and utilizing all the tools, mechanisms and services that we have at our disposal”, said the President of Board of Directors of the Organization, Mr. Costas Yannopoulos.

Mr. Yannopoulos announced new tools and technological means, the utilization of which will enhance the level of protection of children and adults at risk. More specifically, the innovative mechanism of Missing Alert Ηellas is implemented based on a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Citizens’ Protection upon the model of the Amber Alert Hellas mechanism. The Missing Alert Hellas will be activated on cases of missing adults, aged from 18 to 65 years old, who belong to vulnerable and high-risk groups of the population whose life is at immediate risk.

In addition, the Chat App of the SOS 1056 hotline is realized with the kind support of the ΙΤ Directorate-General of NBG, the Missing Alert App with the kind support of COSMOTE and the Child Rescue programme, with the participation of 10 organizations from 6 EU Member States and the coordination of the National Technical University of Athens.

Testimonies and real stories were shared by scientific personnel of the Organization and showcased the multi-dimensional work and services of ‘The Smile of the Child’, highlighting the fact that behind every number there is a real case of a child and a family.

More specifically, according to the statistics of 2019:

“The Smile of the Child” next to every child victim of Violence:

• The National Helpline for Children SOS 1056 received 272,453 calls. 34.1% of these calls concerned reports for children at risk.
• The National Helpline for Children SOS 1056 received 825 reports of serious cases of abuse related to 1,622 children. 40% of these children were between 0-6 years-old. 48% of these reports concerned neglect/abandonment, whereas in 36.5% out of cases parents were the victimizers.
• The European Helpline for Children and Adolescents 116111 received 7,991 calls.
• The European Helpline for Children and Adolescents 116111 offered counseling services on issues related to children to 5,048 individuals. 18.5% of the callers sought guidance from our Organization on issues related to behavioral problems.
• Interactive preventative interventions were carried out for 35.114 students in the framework of 1,181 visits across Greece with the participation of 2,947 teachers and 7,388 parents and guardians as well as the general public.
• 167 direct interventions were carried out for 244 children at risk. In 34% of these cases the immediate removal from their family environment was required.
• 124 requests for the shelter of 214 children at risk were received. 48.5% of the cases concerned children in neglect.
• 301 children are currently being raised in the 11 Homes of the Organization nationwide. 46 children became members of our family in 2019.
• 71 of our children over 18 years of age are continuously supported by “The Smile of the Child” parallel to their studies and/or employment.
• 353 children received 4,719 diagnostic and therapeutic services from the multi-disciplinary team of “The House of the Child” Day Center.

The Smile of the Child” next to every Missing Child:

• Interactive preventative interventions were provided to 735 students, 1,027 parents and guardians and 1,322 teachers in the framework of 110 visits nationwide.
• The European Hotline for Missing Children 116000 received 9,352 calls.
• The European Hotline for Missing Children 116000 received 129 requests for the support in search and rescue operations for 129 missing children. 108 children were found (83.5%). 18 children are still missing, whereas for 3 cases communication has been interrupted.

“The Smile of the Child” next to every child with a Health problem:

• 17,960 children were medically examined nationwide and free-of-charge in the framework of 31,296 medical check-ups provided in the 4 mobile medical units of preventive medicine (Multi-medical Unit “Hippocrates”, Dentistry, Ophthalmological, ENT Units and the new mobile Multi-medical Unit “Asclepius”). “The Smile of the Child” cooperated with 302 doctors of different specialties and dentists across Greece who volunteered by offering their services for children. From 2002 to 2019, 134,269 children were examined in the framework of 313,035 medical exams.
• “The Smile of the Child” conducted transfers of 2,642 newborns and children responding to 5,639 calls and covering 362,195 km! Out of the 2,610 children, 450 were newborns and infants.
• 1,460 children with health problems were supported and the Organization responded to 9,825 requests for support. Out of the 1,460 children, 617 children had no health insurance!
• 9,825 children participated in recreational activities offered by the Organization through 18,321 actions in 10 Hospitals in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras.
• 398 children received the services of the “Pediatric Care at Home” program in the framework of 2,998 visits of doctors, physiotherapists and nurses.
• 4 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.
• In the new Multi-health Center 251 medical exams were carried out for 184 children out of whom 78 were without any medical insurance.

“The Smile of the Child” next to every child who lives in poverty or is threatened by poverty:

• 13,639 children and their families living or threatened by poverty were supported nationwide, including refugee and migrant children and their families. In 77.2% of the cases these were families of unemployed parents or parents with an insecure employment status.
• 51 children were provided with services in the 3 Daycare Homes in Ileia, Agrinio and Mytikas, respectively. 78.43% of these children took part in this action due to social reasons.

At the same time, 5,988 children participated in recreational activities offered by the Organization at the Recreational Activities Area of the Organization at the Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos.

In addition, 1,750 children visited and participated to interventions held at the 1st Mobile Lab of Information, Education and Technology ‘Odysseas’.

For more information, please contact our press team at [email protected] or at +30 210 3306140.