The first hours after the disappearance of a child are crucial. The 116 000 is a vital service to respond to children (at risk of) going missing in Europe. It is a pan-European number reserved since 2007 by the European Union and regulated under EU law.

116 000 hotline

In 32 countries across Europe, organisations operate the 116 000 hotline providing a free and 24/7 service to children (at risk of) going missing and their families. Anyone involved in a case of child disappearance (the child, a peer, a friend, a family member, carer or teacher) can call 116 000 and receive immediate emotional, psychological, social, legal and administrative support. In most member states, the services can also be reached through a variety of different text-based communication platforms such as a chat service.

To report a case of a missing child please call 116 000, contact the organisation responsible in your country or your local police. Missing Children Europe supports hotlines with cross-border cases but does not handle local cases of child disappearance. If you tried calling the hotline, but could not get through or if you still have problems, please contact us.

Hotline FAQ

Facts & Figures

More than a number

In many countries, hotlines are a service consisting of trained professionals and volunteers who engage in prevention, support and follow-up for missing children cases and provide psychological support and legal assistance to families. They also help families of missing children navigate the complexity of the system, and cooperate closely with law enforcement, child protection services and other relevant actors.

32

organisations in Europe run the 116 000 hotlines for missing children

2 million calls

answered by the 116 000 hotline operators

70, 000 cases

supported by the 116 000 hotline operators

Hotlines

CNZD
J. J. Strossmayera 1/1, 31000 Osijek, Hrvatska
info@cnzd.org
www.cnzd.org

Børns Vilkår

www.bornsvilkar.dk

Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
29 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin
info@ispcc.ie
www.ispcc.ie

SOS II Telefono Azzurro
Contatti
www.azzurro.it

Organisations marked with * are not members of Missing Children Europe.

Projects

Monitoring and evaluation of the quality of services

The accreditation project is a self-sustainable evaluation system that monitors the quality of the services provided by the hotlines. The system consists of 69 criteria that hotlines must be evaluated against in order to ensure their management and strategies all meet the expected standards, which make a real difference for children who go missing in Europe.

Case Management and Data Collection Software

The project involves the development of a Client Relationship Management (CRM) tool that allows all 116 000 hotlines to record data related to missing children in a harmonised manner. The tool aims to enhance cross-border cooperation and increase our understanding of the phenomenon of missing children in the EU.

Contact person

Eugenia Miyashita
Project Officer for Runaways and Hotlines

Eugenia.Miyashita@missingchildreneurope.eu

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