SOCIETY

The integrated network of health, social and counselling services, through the Health Services Centre, is provided free of charge, nationwide, daily, 24 hours a day, to all children in Greece, regardless of nationality and religion.

The actions and services provided are: 

• Preventive Medicine
• Pediatric Home Hospitalization
• Blood donations
• Hospitalizations with Mobile Medical Intensive Care Units for newborns and children
• Creative activities for hospitalized children
• Hospitalization of families with children facing health problems
• Provision of social and counseling services to every child with a health problem
• The Children's Home: Day Centre for Personalised Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents, victims of abuse, neglect, domestic violence, children who have been victimised, involved in bullying incidents and generally children who have recently or previously been exposed to intense traumatic experiences and therefore have mental health, adjustment or behavioural problems.
• Social Polyclinics for Children

Preventive Medicine

"The Smile of the Child", recognizing the enormous importance of prevention, carries out Preventive Medicine nationwide to all children, with emphasis on those who live in remote areas, do not have access to medical centers, experience social exclusion and due to financial or other difficulties do not have adequate medical monitoring and care.

Preventive medical check-ups are always carried out with the written consent of the child's parents/guardians and include:

• clinical examination, aiming at early diagnosis of health problems
• education, aiming at avoiding the occurrence of diseases
• early diagnosis of childhood diseases and guidance for their proper treatment
• in special cases, referral and/or accompaniment for further check-ups and examinations

"The Smile of the Child" carries out Preventive Medicine/Dentistry with the three Mobile Polyclinics and the two Mobile Preventive Units.

Home care

"The Smile of the Child" in the context of the services it provides to every child with health problems and his/her family implements the Pediatric Home Hospitalization Program in Athens and Thessaloniki.

The action is addressed to children suffering from serious health problems and the majority of them are unable to move.

A specialised team of health professionals of the Agency with a mobile medical unit makes visits to the child's home, where it is provided:

• Medical and nursing care, under the guidance of the attending physicians and Clinical Directors of the Pediatric Hospitals.
• Social and psychological support for children with health problems and their families.
• Creative activities for children at home.

The aim of our Action is:

• To ensure a better quality of life for children with serious health problems and their families.
• To provide supportive help in the family environment.
• The education of the parents of the sick child.
• Reducing the risk of children contracting in-hospital infections.
• Less inconvenience for the child and family from frequent trips to the hospital.
• A reduction in calls to the ambulance service.
• Facilitating the work of doctors and nurses who seek the assistance of our Association.
• The decongestion and better use of hospital beds.

Blood donations

"The Smile of the Child" responding to the needs, which increased significantly during the pandemic, carries out voluntary blood donation activities in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, public hospitals, local authorities and other relevant institutional and voluntary bodies.

Throughout Greece, throughout the year, "The Smile of the Child" carries out voluntary blood donation actions with the OdysseusSEA, the Mobile Laboratory for Information, Education & Technology, appropriately equipped with the necessary logistical equipment.

The actions comply with all the rules foreseen to ensure the smooth and safe conduct of the actions, as defined by the National Blood Donation Center - N.C.E.A.

Mobile Medical Intensive Care Units for neonates and children - Hospitalizations

"The Smile of the Child" has Mobile Medical Intensive Care Units for newborns and children with which it carries out hospitalizations nationwide and in some cases outside Greece.

The Organization places at the disposal of children and the E.K.A.B. Units based in Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Lesvos, which are staffed by specialized rescuers and certified by the IEK E.K.A.B.

The main objective is:

• To provide first aid in pediatric emergencies.
• Providing emergency first aid for chronic pediatric cases.
• Serving children with disabilities.
• The transport of paediatric cases throughout Greece.
• The transport of newborns with an incubator.
• Our contribution to the removal of minors at risk in collaboration with the sos 1056 line.
• Our contribution to child disappearances/amber alert.
• Our contribution to emergency cases (e.g. fires).

Creative activities for hospitalised children

"The Smile of the Child" from the first years of its activity has actively supported every child who is in the hospital for longer or shorter periods of time.

With "tools" of simple materials, such as laughter, play, singing, conversation, humanity, "The Smile of the Child" supports, strengthens and empowers first the children themselves and, at the same time, their parents.

The aim is to make children feel that the hospital can also be a place of play, joy and creativity. The pleasant atmosphere that prevails during the hours of creative activity drives away tension and has a redemptive effect on the souls of children, parents, nurses and doctors.

By combining creativity, learning and entertainment, alternative ways of self-expression and psychological support are provided, thus strengthening the efforts of children and their families to cope with the difficulties that illness brings to their lives.

Our team is there every day for children with:

• Individual and group play in specially designed playgrounds and in the hospital wards
• Opportunities for improvisation and expression, relaxation - relaxation of the children (painting, crafts, artistic constructions, puppet theatre, theatre performances, etc.)
• Music and song days, where children do not need to have any knowledge of music. Depending on their age and their emotional and physical condition, they take part in musical activities and musical games, through which they express their feelings and acquire musical knowledge.
• Organisation of day trips, as well as events, birthday parties, seasonal celebrations, with the participation of clowns, magicians and favourite artists
• Seasonal activities, where Christmas presents and candles are distributed nationwide to all hospitalised children and in hospitals where creative activities are not carried out

Hospitality for families with children with health problems

"The Smile of the Child" provides hospitality to families with children, who face serious health problems.

The aim is to accommodate families who live either outside Athens or Thessaloniki and their children are hospitalized with chronic diseases for a long period of time in hospitals in Attica or in hospitals in Thessaloniki. The families are accommodated for as long as the treatment and monitoring of the child by the treating doctors requires.

A Pedagogue, Social Worker and Psychologist are next to the family, providing:

• psychological and social support
• in-kind support, providing basic necessities and personal hygiene and cleaning items.
• creative activities for the children

Providing social and counselling services to every child with a Health problem

"The Smile of the Child" with its specialized scientific team provides social and counseling services to children with health problems and their families.

Our goal is to meet the needs of every child, every family in an individualized way. Briefly, the services provided are:

• Coverage of medical and pharmaceutical items, specialized diagnostic tests, special therapeutic sessions
• Provision of directions, resolution of procedural issues, Liaison with institutions and services abroad upon referral of the child's treating doctors in Greece
• Psychological support of the child and his/her family
• Visits to hospitalized children in Pediatric Hospitals
• Cooperation with Medical, Nursing staff and Social Services
• Mobilization of volunteer blood donors - platelets.

The Children's House

"The Smile of the Child", through its many years of action in the field of Child Protection and the experience and expertise it has acquired, in 2014 created "The House of the Child.

"The House of the Child" is a Day Centre for Personalised Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents, victims of abuse, neglect, domestic violence, children who have been victimised, involved in bullying incidents and generally children who have recently or previously been exposed to intense traumatic experiences and therefore face mental health, adjustment or behavioural problems.

"The Children's Home" is a specialised service, unique in Greece and pioneering at European and international level.The operating costs of the Centre are covered by the Ministry of Health. "The Children's Home" is staffed by a specialized therapeutic team.

Social Polyclinics - Medical examinations

"The Smile of the Child" operates two Social Polyclinics in Attica, where medical services are provided absolutely free of charge to every child, with emphasis on those belonging to socially vulnerable vulnerable groups (no access to medical services, uninsured, long-term unemployed parents, single-parent families, Roma, refugees & immigrants, etc.)

In the Social Polyclinics, free medical and dental examinations are provided to children, after licensing by the Athens Medical and Dental Association.

The services provided are:

• Pediatric examination
• Ophthalmological examination
• Otolaryngological examination
• Dental examination

The examinations are carried out by appointment.