Your FAQs

In this section we have listed some of the most Frequently Asked Questions and answers that we are asked here at Childline.

No, Childline never traces calls, and doesn’t have caller id, so we’ll never know where you’re calling from unless you tell us.

All conversations with Childline are private, which means that you can talk to Childline about anything and we won’t tell anyone unless you tell us who you are or where you are.

If you’re not safe, and you tell us where you are, we will pass your details on to someone who can help, like the Gardaí or a social worker. It’s always up to you whether or not you tell us where and who you are.

Childline is here to listen and talk things through with you to help you work out what you want to do. If you want, we can contact a social worker or the Gardaí for you, or give you their details to contact them yourself. We cannot say that you will get help from a Garda or social worker, but can pass on information.

Calls to Childline are free. Texts to Childline are free. You can ring from a landline, a pay phone or a mobile phone, and it won’t cost anything or use up any credit. You can text from any mobile phone. Sometimes some mobile phone companies block calls to freephone numbers (that begin 1800). If this happens to you when you want to call Childline, you can use a phone box or a landline instead.

Childline would never call you back. Calling Childline doesn’t cost anything, so you can always ring us, even if you’re out of credit or don’t have money for a pay phone. You can get in touch by ringing, texting or using our website.

You can talk to Childline about anything at all. There’s nothing too big or too small to talk to us about, and if you want to ring to see what we’re like, that’s ok too.

They are answered by staff and volunteers who have been trained to listen to children and young people. We’re all trained the same way and we’re all here to do the same job. Whoever you get through to is there to support you.

Childline receives an average of over 300,000 contacts every year across our phone, online chat and text services.

There are Childline offices in all different parts of the country. A call is answered wherever there is a person available to listen, so it doesn’t matter where in Ireland you are calling from you can get through to any of the different places we have offices.

Childline can help you work out what you want to do. We won’t tell you what we think you should do because it’s always your decision, but we can help you make that decision.

All sorts of children and young people in Ireland call Childline. About half of the people who contact Childline are boys, and half are girls. Anybody in Ireland who is under 18 can call Childline to talk about anything at all.