2nd Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) Children’s Hospital of Athens “P. & A. Kyriakou” (Government Gazette 1261/B’/11.04.2017)

The Child Safety Care Unit (MoFAP) of the 2nd Department of Pediatrics, NKUA, at “P. & A. Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital, is the first hospital-based unit in Greece coordinating the care of children at risk of abuse or neglect, as well as the support of vulnerable families, with the goal of preventing accidents and violent incidents.
Established in 2018 in accordance with international standards and through the generous support of the ELIZA Society, the Unit is housed in a specially designed, child- and family-friendly space within our hospital, suitable for family consultations, child examinations, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
CSCU team members:

• Alexandros Panos (Pediatrician, Consultant, National Health System)
• Alexandra Soldatou (Professor of Pediatrics, NKUA Medical School)
• Nausica Tsipa (Part-time Scientific Associate, NKUA Medical School, supported by the ELIZA Society)

The CSCU collaborates with all departments of our hospital, working particularly closely with the Social Services Department. The Unit offers the following services:

1. Child Safety Care Outpatient Clinic
   • Evaluation of hospitalized patients following concerns raised by a healthcare professional
   • Assessment of outpatients referred for forensic examination, in collaboration with the Laboratory of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, NKUA, and, where appropriate, the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NKUA
   • Molecular urine testing for sexually transmitted infections, performed by the Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry – Molecular Diagnostics, 2nd Department of Pediatrics, NKUA
2. General Pediatric Outpatient Clinic
   • Long-term follow-up of children from vulnerable families
   • Evaluation of children referred by community healthcare professionals for suspected abuse or neglect
   • Re-examination of children seen in the Emergency Department
3. Mental Health Services
   • Ongoing parental counseling during investigations of possible abuse or in cases of serious chronic illness and prolonged hospitalization of the child
   • Assessment and brief intervention for children evaluated due to suspected abuse or diagnosed with severe chronic or acute illness
4. CSCU Training and Network Coordination Center
   • Coordination of the elective course “Child Safety Care”, NKUA Medical School
   • Supervision of the student volunteer group MedsCAN (Medical Students and Junior Doctors against Child Abuse and Neglect)
   • Development and conduction of numerous training programs for healthcare professionals, in collaboration with international and charitable organizations, as well as regional health and education authorities
   • Coordination of the replication of the clinical care model (CSCU model) in Pediatric Departments in Athens, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupolis, and Patras—developed and supported by the ELIZA Society—with ongoing support through educational visits and regular virtual meetings
5. Research and Publication Activities
   • Development of written protocols and clinical guidelines
   • Design of primary and secondary prevention programs for child abuse and neglect
   • Data collection for the development of improved strategies for prevention and case management