Abu Dhabi is calling on every resident to become an active line of protection for children, as Dama Al-Aman — the emirate’s integrated child protection system — unites 21 local and federal entities under one coordinated framework.
The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) introduced the ‘Protecting children takes all of us’ campaign at an event at the Department of Community Development on Monday, bringing together health, education, law enforcement and justice representatives to demonstrate how the system works in practice.
“It takes all of us, working together, to make sure every child in Abu Dhabi grows up safe, supported and able to thrive,” said Hessa Al Kaabi, Executive Director, Special Projects and Partnerships at ECA.
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The Dama Al-Aman Child Protection Policy, launched in November 2023 and endorsed by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, grounds the system in Wadeema’s Law, Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on Child Rights.
Work on the framework began with a formal review of Abu Dhabi’s child protection landscape in 2020. Since then, more than 400 child protection specialists have been trained and dedicated child protection units now operate within hospitals, schools and social care entities across the emirate.
Asma Al Azri, Executive Director of the Family Cases Sector at the Family Care Authority, said the authority’s model serves the family as a whole rather than the individual child.
“Through specialised assessments, we reach the root cause and develop protection, safety and intervention plans for every family member,” she said. All Family Care Authority services are free and open to every Abu Dhabi resident regardless of nationality.
The Family Care Authority’s Child Centre, opened in 2024, brings social, health, education and prosecution services under one roof for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. A second centre serving Al Ain is set to open.
Every school in Abu Dhabi has a designated child protection coordinator who serves as the sole authorised contact for external referrals, Rana Luqman, Education Advisor at the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, said.
All school staff, teaching and administrative, are trained to recognise forms of abuse and follow reporting pathways under the Dama Al-Aman framework. Curriculum guides under the system have reached more than 650 education institutions and approximately 396,000 students across the emirate.
Dr Durra Alblooshi, Acting Executive Director of Community Health Sector at Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, said healthcare professionals are trained to detect physical and behavioural warning signs during clinical visits and coordinate referrals with the relevant entities. These include repeated unexplained injuries, sudden social withdrawal, mood changes or a child’s visible fear of a specific person.
Alia Mohammed Saeed Al Kaabi, Senior Chief Prosecutor at Abu Dhabi Family Prosecution, said the campaign reinforces that protection begins with recognising early warning signs, not waiting for harm to occur. Prosecution authorities can issue protection orders for children facing immediate risk.
Child protection concerns can be reported to the Ministry of Interior Child Protection Center on 116111 or the Family Care Authority hotline on 800444, available around the clock. Mandated reporters, including teachers, school staff and healthcare professionals, can submit concerns through the Dama Al-Aman Child Safety Concern Portal.
In emergencies, contact Abu Dhabi Police on 999. Further resources are available at the Dama Al Aman website.
Source: Khaleej Times