The Directorate of Social Defence (DSD) has recorded a ‘welcome note’ for Interactive Voice Response (IVR) by one of the teenage girls at the government home in order to make Child Helpline (CHL) 1098 more friendly and comforting for callers, particularly children who call to register their complaint. According to DSD authorities in Chennai, this is the first of its sort in India.
About Child Helpline
Child Helpline 1098 is a phone number that gives millions of youngsters in India hope. It is a free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year emergency phone service for children in need of help. They not only respond to children’s immediate needs, but also connect them to appropriate agencies for long-term care and rehabilitation.
CHL run by individual state government
The CHL was launched by the Tamil Nadu government on July 31, after the Ministry of Child and Women Empowerment determined that the helpline should be run by the respective state governments in India rather than the Childline India Foundation (CIF) and partner NGOs. As a result, after the CHL was transferred to the TN government, DSD officials wanted to make the helpline more exclusive through new and innovative initiatives.
As part of this, officials chose to use an actual girl’s voice for the IVR’s welcome note rather than an automated one. Since the TN government took over CHL, it has prioritised the engagement of children in its activities. This began with making the helpline more child-friendly.
Recording of Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
With the consent of a teenage girl from one of the government girls’ homes in the city, the voice in the IVR was recorded and has been active since August. Officials indicate that before the TN government took control CHL, the IVR only featured English and Hindi.
As a result, DSD personnel started by developing a script for a welcome note in Tamil. At present, the IVR will start with a welcome note in Tamil recorded by the adolescent girl, followed by automated voices in English and Hindi recorded by adults. This action aims to comfort the young callers and further express their concerns freely.