Ukraine-wide NGO "Magnolia" believes that every child should grow up in a safe family environment and "Сenter for missing & exploited children" does everything to ensure that children in Ukraine are protected from kidnappings, sexual and labour exploitation.
Starting from 2005, we have been offering help to parents/responsible persons in search for missing children, providing them with psychological, legal and social assistance and conducting media campaigns to prevent the disappearance of children.
In November 2017, NGO "Magnolia" joined the International Federation of Missing Children Europe. In 2022, we became board members of the International Federation of Missing Children Europe.
IMPLEMENTATION
European Hotline 116 000
In 31 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. All hotlines 116 000 work under the unified standards in accordance with Directive 2009/136/EC of European Parliament. 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. Organizations, who operates 116 000 hot-lines in Europe are united in International European Federation "Missing Children Europe".
The Hotline 116 000 in Ukraine is operated by NGO "Magnolia". After introduction of a visa-free regime between Ukraine and EU, risks of disappearance of Ukrainian children in European countries increased. That's why in 2017 NGO "Magnolia" joined as a Member-representative of Ukraine in International European Federation "Missing Children Europe". Since than, Ukrainian citizens can be supported by every Membe-State of European Federation "Missing Children Europe in cross-border disappearance cases. To support Ukrainian citizens in cases of disapperance children in EU countries, NGO "Magnolia" signed a Memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of External Affairs of Ukraine and Ukrainian Consular Services in EU-Member States.
The hotline call-center operators are properly trained professionals - social workers and psychologists, who provide advice on family care. They take calls from parents of missing children, provide them with the necessary psychological, legal and social assistance and take calls from people who have information about missing children.
The hotline call-center operators constantly cooperate with the Juvenile Police and criminal investigation territorial units of the National Police of Ukraine to support search for missing children.
Public awareness about missing children through the media
The effectiveness of search for the missing child dependents very much on aid from the informed public - the more people know about the disappearance of the child, the more likely to find a witness who will report important information to the 116000 hotline.
For such a large-scale information of the public, “Missing Children Search Service” creates media products about missing children in different forms, which then are placed on social networks Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, broadcasted on 30 Ukrainian TV channels, in 7 printed media, networks of outdoor advertising agencies and indoor TV, on web-sites.
News about search for children are promptly published on the site missingchildren.org.ua Except that, on this web-site there is placed useful information for parents: what to do if a child goes missing. We also conduct large-scale informational campaign on prevention of runaways and homelessness of children in Ukraine.
RESULTS:
By 1 of January 2024, due to our collaboration with public, media and Police we had managed to track down 5814 missing children.
