Childline service in jeopardy: Charity does State’s work

Childline is the latest in a long line of charities to warn that its services will be curtailed unless it can quickly raise at least €1m.

The essential service’s night-time provision is in jeopardy and, if it cannot be sustained, the charity warns, the shortage would “force 45,000 voices into silence”.

This intolerable situation is one that should rightly be resolved by our social services rather than by a charity, no matter how noble or committed.

Unfortunately, this difficulty highlights another example of the privatisation of care or support services that should properly be provided by the State.

This is not to in anyway diminish the great contribution Childline and many other charities in a similar bind continue to make to child protection.

Childline receives about 1,800 calls each day— something over 600,000 a year — and night-time calls make up about 11% of all contacts.

We have a long, ignominious record on child protection, and the number of calls to Childline indicates that these problems are far from resolved.

If even a tiny proportion of those calls are made by children in real jeopardy, then the service, no matter who provides it, must be supported.

It is a indicator of a dysfunctional society that such an essential service should be utterly dependent on a charity’s ability to raise funds from the public.