Stories: Children, Community, Future

“Every year, the National Child Helpline receives and supports over 500 thousand calls. Despite considerable efforts, the processing of requests, queries, and reports related to child protection has not met expectations,” shared Ms. Le Thi Thao, Deputy Head of the National Child Helpline 111.

At the Helpline 111, 32 counselors work in three shifts, 24 hours a day, tirelessly handling a continuous stream of calls day and night. However, the lack of human resources is not the sole concern for Ms. Thao and her colleagues: “The coordination between the Helpline and local authorities in resolving and supporting child protection cases is also limited due to the lack of communication channels and information-sharing platforms”.

In this context, the Department of Child Affairs and ChildFund Vietnam have collaborated on the project “Technology For Effective Child Protection System and Service,” in which the upgrade of the Helpline 111 application and case management software plays a crucial role in addressing existing challenges.

“This upgrade is a significant step forward in improving the performance and features of the Helpline system. The changes have created a better user experience and improved our working processes,” said Ms. Thao. The National Child Helpline application is not only an invaluable aid to Helpline staff. It is also a friendly companion for children. “When using this application, I feel like I have another friend to protect me. When encountering issues such as bullying or violence, we can use the application to report. It is user-friendly and easy to use”, shared Luu, a sixth-grader in Hoa Binh province. Luu’s friend, Hai, enthusiastically talks about this “new friend”: “Using this application, I can also learn about safety skills, such as preventing abuse, essential life skills for children, and reliable addresses always ready to protect children”. The Helpline 111 application does not only protect students but also proves to be a useful tool for parents in caring for and ensuring the safety of their children. “This application is great! Other than reporting concerns about children, my children and I can also gain child protection knowledge and skills through the documents library”, said Mr. Luan, a parent in Kim Boi district.

In addition to the Helpline 111 application, the case management software is gradually demonstrating the power of technology in enhancing the effectiveness of child protection work. Ms. Phuong, a Social Work Officer in Kim Boi district, Hoa Binh province, shared: “I find using the case management software very convenient and practical. Instead of sending hard copies of documents as traditionally done, the software allows users to export data and store files of current and past cases. I can easily monitor the status of cases and generate reports when required”.

In the upcoming phase, after testing the National Child Helpline 111 application and case management software on a broader scale beyond ChildFund’s project area, the Department of Child Affairs will issue guidelines for nationwide implementation of the online reporting mechanism. This transformative change is expected to eliminate constraints and provide local leaders with a database to make informed policy decisions, promising a brighter and safer future for children.

One of the training workshops on the implementation of the upgraded case management software organised for child protection workers and officials from the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs at commune, district, and provincial levels.