Medical Child Protection Hotline

The Medical Child Protection Hotline is aimed at medical professionals, i.e. doctors (in clinics or private practices), dentists, private (child and adolescent) psychotherapists, nurses and rescue service staff.

Since 2021, employees of child and youth welfare services and family courts have also received professional expertise and low-threshold support here for questions concerning medical child protection.

In cases of suspected mistreatment, neglect or sexual abuse, the hotline offers readily available, competent, practical and collegial advice from doctors with special background knowledge in child protection issues.

Since October 2016, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs has been funding the nationwide, free, and 24-hour Medical Child Protection Hotline. Since its launch, healthcare professionals have received advice in over 3,100 calls regarding suspected cases of child abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse. The focus is on questions about how to deal with suspected child endangerment, available courses of action, and contact persons.

Expanded target groups for stronger medical child protection

The hotline was previously aimed exclusively at healthcare professionals. With the project's expansion to include child and youth welfare services and family courts, those working in these fields have also been receiving expert advice and easily accessible support for questions related to medical child protection since January.

An external evaluation of the Medical Child Protection Hotline confirmed a persistently high demand for guidance among medical professionals on how to handle suspected cases of child endangerment. 98.6 percent of those who contacted the hotline rated the advice as helpful to very helpful.

Furthermore, it became clear that there is a considerable need for support in medical issues related to child protection within child and youth welfare services and family courts.