The key facts
- The Protecting Children Takes All of Us campaign will run until mid-2027
- Reports can be made anonymously: Family Care Authority hotline 800444, Ministry of Interior line 116111, in emergencies — police 999
- The Dama Al Aman system brings together 21 local and federal organisations; more than 400 child protection specialists have been trained
What the campaign is about
The authorities of Abu Dhabi have launched the Protecting Children Takes All of Us campaign, urging parents, educators and other residents to report suspicions of child abuse or neglect. The story is covered by The National citing the Early Childhood Authority. The campaign will run until mid-2027 and will reach people through schools, majlises, and digital and traditional media.
What practically changes for residents
The key message of the campaign is that reports can and should be made without evidence or conducting one's own investigation. Layla Al Hassan, director of communications and partnerships at the Early Childhood Authority, stressed in a comment to The National that reports can be made anonymously, and that changes in a child's behaviour should serve as the signals: unusual withdrawal, anxiety, or a sudden reluctance to go to school. According to her, abuse is not always physical — 'sometimes there are no scars or bruises'; it can be emotional or take place online.
Where to report and how the system works
Concerns are accepted anonymously on the Family Care Authority hotline 800444 or on the Ministry of Interior's child protection line 116111; in emergencies, Abu Dhabi Police should be called on 999. Reports to the Family Care Authority are assessed by risk level: as Asma Al Azri, executive director of the family affairs sector, told the publication, if a child needs immediate protection, the authority can arrange temporary shelter or transfer of care to another relative, and the speed of response depends on the severity of each case. Coordination is provided by the integrated child protection system Dama Al Aman, which brings together 21 local and federal organisations in the fields of education, healthcare, social assistance, law enforcement and justice; it is based on the emirate's child protection policy, launched in 2023 and approved by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. According to the Early Childhood Authority, more than 400 child protection specialists have already been trained, as well as practitioners in education, healthcare and the social sector.
The role of schools and medics
Specialised agencies are also taking part in the campaign. Aliya Al Kaabi, senior prosecutor at the Abu Dhabi Family Prosecution, noted that protecting children 'begins with recognising the early signs of risk' and listening to the child, not only with intervention after the fact. Mariam Alhallami, head of the private education and charter schools sector at ADEK, stated that the education system can fulfil its mission only when students feel safe. Dr Durra Alblooshi, a physician and head of the public health sector in Abu Dhabi, added that during clinical examinations, changes in a child's physical or mental health can reveal what the child finds difficult to express in words.
Context of online risks
The campaign comes against the backdrop of a separate warning for UAE parents about the use of images generated by artificial intelligenceto bully and blackmail children — The National also published a piece on this topic at the end of October. This underscores that threats to children in the emirate are seen not only as offline but also as digital.
