In 2005, the Foundation for Social Welfare Services applied for funding under the Safer Internet Programme. The project, entitled Keep Kids Safe through Supportline 179, was selected and as a result of this, in October 2006, a web-based hotline for Child Abuse was launched.  An online reporting system was integrated in the website of Agenzija Appogg, where the public could report online child abuse. From then on, the Hotline team started to receive reports which were subsequently handled with the collaboration of the Cyber Crime Unit.

In May 2007, an awareness node was included in the project. The role of the awareness node is to promote internet safety with the general public.  This was taken care of by the Ministry for Investment, Industry and Information Technology.  The awareness team was constantly meeting teachers, parents and children in schools, NGO's and other groups around Malta. Today, the teams working on this project have an advisory board involving professionals from various fields which include the Education Division, Agenzija Sedqa, a representative of Internet Service Providers, the Cyber Crime Unit and the Commissioner for Children.

Since October 2006, the hotline was notified of 234 cases, of which 59 were forwarded to the Cyber Crime Unit. The total cost of the project was of Eur 254,245 of which Eur 134,012 were financed by the European Commission's Safer Internet Programme, with the balance being covered by the Foundation for Social Welfare Services and the Ministry for Investment, Industry and Information Technology.