No child should feel forgotten this Christmas

At just 12 years old, Zoe felt completely alone

When Zoe contacted Childline, someone listened. Your compassion can help ensure every child has somewhere to turn this Christmas.

Living with addiction at home and nowhere she felt safe, Zoe began to believe nobody would notice if she disappeared. Then she contacted Childline and a volunteer listened.

A caring conversation helped Zoe find hope.

Nobody should feel this alone

“I am lonely at home. I am lonely at school. I have nobody…”

For many vulnerable children, Christmas can be the hardest time of the year.

When fear, loneliness and uncertainty feel overwhelming, Childline is there to listen, support and remind children that they matter.

Because of supporters like you, no child has to face their struggles alone.

This Christmas, your donation can help ensure every child has somewhere to turn.

Your gift helps provide

❤️ A safe place for children to talk

❤️ A caring adult who will listen

❤️ Support during times of crisis

❤️ Hope when children feel alone

Zoe found kindness and support when she needed it most. But many more children this Christmas will feel forgotten, facing loneliness and fear with nobody they believe they can turn to.

With your help, we’ll be there for them too.

Thank you for opening your heart to children and young people across Ireland. Together, we can ensure no child feels forgotten – this Christmas or any day of the year. 

Note: Names and some specific details have been changed to protect the privacy and identity of those involved.  

No child should feel forgotten this Christmas

Donate to Childline by ISPCC today.

ISPCC Childline is up to 70% funded through generous gifts from our donors and supporters. Without that support, we couldn’t continue to be there for children.

Last Christmas, your generosity helped make a difference...

*Figures from 21 December 2025 to 3 January 2026.

phone calls

Children and young people called Childline for support throughout the Christmas period.

online chats

Children and young people connected with Childline’s listening volunteers through our online chat service.

unique contacts

Individual children and young people turned to Childline for a listening ear over Christmas.

crisis contacts

Childline was there to support children and young people experiencing serious difficulties.

Registered & Trusted

The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a Company Limited by Guarantee. It is registered in Ireland at Unit 3, Block 3, Harbour Square, Crofton Road, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin. The development of the ISPCC.ie website has been supported by the Vodafone Ireland Foundation.

Registration Number: 15958

Charity Number: CHY 5102

Charity Registration Number: 20007225

Forget Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies — for many young people, school holidays mean loneliness, fear and overwhelming pressure.

The Easter break should be a time of joy for children: a pause from schoolwork, time with family, and moments of fun and freedom. But for too many young people across Ireland, Easter is anything but easy.

Over the three-day Easter period (April 4th to 6th), Childline received almost 1,000 contacts from children and young people reaching out for support. Behind every contact is a child trying to cope, often in silence. Alarmingly, 20 of those contacts involved discussions about suicide.

Childline, Ireland’s only 24/7/365 listening service for children and young people, sees a consistent spike in demand during holiday periods, when the safety and structure of school is removed.

Give now to make a difference

Easter is one of our busiest times of the year. For many children, school is a sanctuary — a breathing space from chaotic or unsafe home lives. During the holidays they can feel incredibly isolated, especially when they know others are enjoying themselves. Every day, we hear from young people who are experiencing the worst time of their lives.

Elizabeth Donlon Fox Childline Listening National Supervisor

When home doesn’t feel safe

During school holidays, children who are experiencing neglect, emotional distress, family breakdown or abuse often have nowhere to turn. Without trusted adults or the routine of school, worries build and feelings intensify.

The Childline team now spends the equivalent of 146 full days every year supporting children and young people in immediate crisis — listening, reassuring and helping them survive moments of deep distress.

Clodagh’s story*

Clodagh, aged 14, is one of the many young people who turn to Childline during school holidays.

When her parents separated, Clodagh’s world changed overnight. She desperately misses her dad, but sees him only occasionally. At home, her mother struggles with her own mental health, leaving Clodagh to care for her younger siblings — making sure they are fed, washed, dressed, and ready for school, while also cleaning the house and holding everything together.

Instead of enjoying time with friends like other teenagers, Clodagh feels trapped by responsibility, fear and worry. The isolation and pressure took a devastating toll on her mental health.

Eventually, Clodagh felt overwhelmed, hopeless — and suicidal.

On the worst day of her life, she found the courage to call Childline.

At the other end of the phone was a trained volunteer who listened without judgement, took her feelings seriously, and helped her feel less alone at a moment when everything felt unbearable. That conversation helped Clodagh get through the night and begin to find hope again.

Her experience is not unique.

Donate to support children like Clodagh

* Clodagh’s name has been changed to protect her identity.

Seeing the warning signs — and acting

Many children reaching out to Childline show clear signs of distress long before they make contact. Sudden mood changes, withdrawal from friends, difficulties at school, risky behaviour, changes in sleep or appetite, or statements of hopelessness should always be taken seriously.

For children who are struggling to open up to the adults in their lives, Childline offers a confidential, anonymous space — any reason, any time.

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