If you have information about a child at risk, you can alert Child Protection. There is one in every town, and if you live in a village, the department responsible for your area is in a nearby town or community centre. You do not need to be a representative of an institution to make such a report: you can do this if you are an acquaintance, a neighbour, even a bystander. To make such a report you can go to the place or make a phone call. The opening hours of the Child Protection Unit are between 9 and 17:30 every weekday. When a report is received from a citizen or an organization about a child at risk, the staff of the relevant Child Protection Department carries out an on-site check, meeting the child, his/her relatives, teachers, neighbors, doctors and other people who can provide information about the child's condition, his/her behavior, the problems they have noticed, if any. The aim is to make an assessment of the case and, if the child is considered to be at risk, to take protection measures that are different and tailored to the specifics of the case: in some cases, protection measures are applied in a family environment so that parents are supported to take better care of their child. In severe cases, where family protection measures are not sufficient, the child may be removed and placed with relatives or in an institution. In all cases, the approach is individual and tailored to the best interests of the child.
A child at risk is any child who is threatened or subjected to any form of violence and abuse; a child whose basic needs are not met - for example, he or she is malnourished, poorly clothed, neglected by the people who are supposed to care for him or her; a child who does not go to school but is under 16 years of age; who begs or wanders unsupervised; who is a victim of exploitation.
It is important to have information such as the child's name, current address, parents' names, and the school where the child attends. This will enable the social workers from the Child Protection Department to find the child as quickly as possible.
If you are concerned and worried about the welfare of a child and you know or suspect that they are at risk, you can also contact our 116 111 number at any time of the day or night, including weekends.