Since HKSPC established the “Child Safeguarding Support Line” around a year ago, the calls received were not only related to the association’s stakeholders but also to the entire Hong Kong public.
Gloria Lau, our “Child Safeguarding Consultant”, shared the following impressive calls for help:
1) Divorced mother feared that her children would be abused
A middle-aged divorced lady has called the hotline many times. Due to financial concerns, the custody of three children was awarded to her ex-husband. Her ex-husband married another woman, so her three children now lived with the stepmother. However, the lady suspected that the stepmother had neglected or abused her children. The eldest child had cried to the lady and even stayed at her home temporarily. The lady worried a lot and didn’t know how to help the children, so she called our hotline for help. The woman who asked for help was very emotional, so the Consultant taught her some skills to calm herself down and communicate with others. The Consultant listened patiently and referred her to relevant resources.
2) Abortion consultation for woman of advanced maternal age
A woman of advanced maternal age called and consulted for her unexpected pregnancy. She worried that her family’s resources would not be able to afford and support the birth of a child, therefore she was considering an abortion. Yet, Life was not easy to come by and her husband wanted to give birth to a child. The woman wondered whether she needed to have an abortion or not. She wanted to consult someone before deciding, so she called our hotline. The consultant introduced the Day Crèches services of our association and other similar services in Hong Kong and comforted her that the problem could always be solved.
The above help-seekers were not stakeholders of the association. They simply wanted to find help and searched on the internet, then found our hotline. In the spirit of protecting all children in Hong Kong, our consultant also listened carefully and made referrals with empathy. “I would not make direct suggestions for callers but provide relevant information and resources. I believe it is important to provide hope and listening when people are in desperate situations. ” Gloria said. The hotline has also received calls related to our association, sometimes colleagues will call to make suggestions on how to improve the services. “The colleagues’ willingness to call proves that they trust this hotline, and it is a channel for them to express opinions.” Gloria said.
Besides the hotline, the “Child Safeguarding Department” also conducted many internal and external trainings to introduce child safeguarding policies and mandatory reporting mechanisms in the form of interactive workshops. HKSPC has trained more than 700 internal staff and has also cooperated with The Education University of Hong Kong to train students in Early Childhood Education, to enhance the awareness of child protection in the Association and even in Hong Kong.
Welcome to call the ” Child Safeguarding Support Line” / WhatsApp: 2691 0188
Service hours: Monday to Friday 9:00am – 1:00pm; 2:00pm – 5:00pm