{
  "id": 19162806,
  "title": "Abu Dhabi communities urged to protect children by reporting safety concerns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/abu-dhabi-communities-urged-to-protect-children-by-reporting-safety",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T14:21:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/11/09/abu-dhabi-communities-urged-to-protect-children-by-reporting-safety-concerns/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Residents of Abu Dhabi are being urged to report child safety concerns under a new campaign called \"Protecting Children Takes All of Us.\" The initiative aims to educate parents, educators, and community members on recognizing signs of abuse or neglect, understanding how to respond, and knowing where to seek support. Layla Al Hassan, director of communication and partnerships at the Early Childhood Authority, advises that people should speak up if they notice a child becoming unusually quiet, anxious, or reluctant to attend school. Anonymous reporting is encouraged, and individuals do not need to investigate suspected abuse or possess proof before reporting a concern.\n\nThe campaign, set to run until mid-2027, will reach communities through schools, majlis, and various media channels. Concerns can be reported anonymously to the Family Care Authority Hotline at 800444 or the Ministry of Interior’s child protection Hotline at 116111. In emergencies, Abu Dhabi Police can be reached on 999.\n\nDubbed Dama Al Aman, the integrated child protection system unites 21 local and federal organizations from education, health, social care, law enforcement, and justice sectors. The system is guided by the Child Protection Policy, launched in 2023, and aims to prevent harm, identify concerns early, and coordinate support for children and families. Over 400 child protection specialists have been trained, along with practitioners in the education, health, and social sectors.\n\nRecognizing early warning signs is crucial, with experts emphasizing that child safety is everyone's responsibility. Dr Hessa Al Kaabi, ECA’s executive director of special projects and partnerships, stresses that young people need someone they trust, stating, \"Every child deserves to feel safe, to be heard, and to know there is someone they can turn to.\" Alia Al Kaabi, senior chief prosecutor at Abu Dhabi Family Prosecution, highlights that awareness of early warning signs is key, urging prompt reporting of any concerns to relevant authorities.",
  "summary": "Abu Dhabi residents are being encouraged to report concerns about child safety under a new campaign to help safeguard children. The Protecting Children Takes All of Us campaign aims to help parents, educators and other community members to recognise signs of abuse or neglect, understand how to respond and know where to seek support. Layla Al Hassan, director of communication and partnerships at…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}