Smile of the Child: Answers about financial and real estate research

Answers regarding the financial management of the organization were made public by the Smile of the Child, in which, among other things, it is claimed that “it is clearly intended to create impressions – which are going to be analyzed and refuted subsequently – with the aim of shaking the trust of the world that supports its work” , while the organization’s financial data “are permanently posted on the organization’s website”.

His press release Smile of the Child ecomes as a reaction to a front-page publication with spikes about the organization’s finances, which claims that there was “never” any communication with the Child’s Smile, “both before and during its journalistic investigation for relevant statements-answers on the points of the report”.

The Smile of the Child states that “with regard to the audit which, as the publication claims, is about to take place”, the organization “has been constantly receiving audits from state agencies and local government agencies, a fact that it seeks and welcomes” while, itself body, “has voluntarily established audit procedures internally and accepts audits from independent external bodies in Greece and abroad”.

In addition, the organization points out that on its own initiative, it publishes “annually its balance sheet and the reports of the statutory auditors, twice a year the statistics of all its services and activities, a sustainable development report”, while “in its 27 years of activity , the Smile of the Child has addressed without any delay and with complete transparency the competent Authorities (Police and Prosecutors) to resolve problems or to report incidents that have arisen regarding human resources, partners, supported children and families and has followed in full the procedure prescribed by the Authorities”. In addition, the body publishes, as it states, “annual financial audit by the independent international company of certified auditors Ernst and Young”, “audit by international bodies e.g. European Union in the context of submission of proposals and certifications, such as inclusion of the organization in the General Directorate of Humanitarian Aid of the European Commission (DG ECHO)” and “control for the certification of the organization and its services by the competent Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs”. Furthermore, it is noted that “the Smile of the Child” was certified for the second time for the provision of primary, secondary and tertiary social care and the certification is valid until 2024.

Regarding the number of children that Smile of the Child supports, either individually or in the context of their family life, i.e. within their family, for example, in 2018 the organization supported 90,601 children and their families, in 2019 the organization supported 95,717 children and their families, in 2020 57,722 children and their families and in 2021 48,403 children and their families. According to the same announcement, the reason for lower numbers being recorded in 2020 and 2021 is the pandemic, as “due to relevant instructions and directions from the competent health authorities” key actions of Smile were suspended.

Regarding the board of directors, in addition to Konstantinos Yiannopoulos who is the president of the organization, the following participate:

vice president, Konstantinos Kotsilinis Former Certified Auditor and Business Consultant

general secretary, Christos Kammilatos Director of the National Health Service General Family Physician

treasurer, Ioannis Lambropoulos Deputy General of the Fire Brigade

member, Evangelia Malamaki Graduated mathematician EKP

member, Eleftherios Samaras Company CEO

member, Pythagoras Papadimitriou Chief Executive Officer of a Multinational Company

alternate member, Vasilios Orfanos, President of the Technology Company

alternate member, Evangelia Karpouzopoulou Preschool Teacher

alternate member, Aikaterini Houpi Director of the Creative Department of an Advertising Company

honorary member, Vasilios Markis, Honorary Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court

honorary member, Chrysoula Mylonas, former Juvenile Prosecutor

Regarding the dismissals of employees, Smile of the Child notes that “employees were dismissed due to an incident of abuse of a hosted child” and “the organization followed the legal procedure”.

With reference to the installation of cameras, the Smile of the Child emphasizes that “in the external areas of the organization, and exclusively for the protection of the hosted children, cameras were installed, with the knowledge of everyone and after the relevant licensing of the competent bodies and the Personal Data Protection Authority”.

For the staffing of the Smile Houses, the organization states that a total of 16 employees are employed in each area, which includes the following specialties: Social Worker, Psychologist, Educators, Educators, Educators, Cooks, Nurses, Cleaners, Drivers, Paediatricians, Legal Counsel .

Regarding the reports of parents about the illegal detention of their children, the Smile of the Child emphasizes that “all the children accommodated in the Houses of the Organization come following prosecutor’s orders and court decisions” and the organization does not decide on these procedures while, until today , “The Child’s Smile has taken care of 1,044 children in the 11 Houses it operates nationwide, following relevant prosecutorial orders, and for each child the organization’s multidisciplinary team is looking for the best solution.”

In fact, the agency states that, from 2006 to the present, it has proceeded to reunite 378 children with their families following relevant prosecutorial orders and court decisions and has rehabilitated 98 children through adoption and 30 through fostering.

However, as the Child’s Smile notes, “today, for 79 of the 126 children who have registered for foster care, no connection proposal has arisen, with 59 of them being over 12 years old. For the remaining 47 children, although connection proposals arise, they are ultimately rejected by the prospective foster parents.” In addition, “to date, for 6 of the 27 children that The Smile of the Child has declared for adoption, no connection proposal has arisen. All 6 children are over 12 years old. For the remaining 21 children, although connection proposals arise, they are ultimately rejected by the prospective adoptive parents.”

Among other things, the organization, regarding its financial management, replies that “it covers all its obligations with absolute consistency and has no debts to the public, to third parties, to suppliers, to employees, etc.”

With reference to the incident at the House of the Organization in Nea Iraklitsa, Kavala, to which a Sunday newspaper article refers, the organization replies that “immediately, after being informed”, both the president, Kostas Yiannopoulos, and the people in charge of the House “voluntarily addressed the competent prosecuting authorities. The procedure was carried out in its entirety based on the instructions given by the Authorities. The investigation was completed in Iraklitsa without any incriminating evidence, and the case was filed by the judiciary.”

“In 2021, the organization’s annual expenses for the implementation of its actions amounted to 15,566,000 euros, therefore the surplus that the organization must have to ensure the protection of the children it supports and their needs it covers, corresponds to about 5 months” replies the Child’s Smile regarding the organization’s reserve, amounting to 6.2 million euros”, while regarding the organization’s objections regarding the ENFIA imposed on its operating areas and hosting children and their families, the agency states that “every 1 euro of taxation is essentially deprived of children in need”.

Specifically with regard to the amount of money that is in a Swiss bank in the account of the Smile of the Child, the organization explains that “in 2019 the sale of the TITANIA hotel was completed”, in which the organization had a minority stake and “the amount of 15 million euros that resulted for the spread of risk, it was decided to share it in three different banks, two in Greece and one abroad” while for any banking transaction, either in Greece or abroad, a series of signatures are required and all the accounts can be found on the organization’s website.

In addition, the relevant press release states that “Smile of the Child has no conflict with EL.AS., on the contrary, the cooperation is timeless and of substantial benefit to society and children. The cooperation is not limited to the area of ​​disappearances of minors and adults, but also in other areas such as abuse, illegal trafficking and trafficking, etc.”

The publication of the newspaper “To Vima tis Kyriaki”, entitled “Under the microscope of the “Smile of the Child”, states, among other things: “a series of questions about the organization’s finances and the failure to utilize its dozens of properties – the cases of abuse at the NGO and the complaints about unjustified dismissals of employees”.

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