The Ministry of Welfare, within the framework of the EEA Grants programme’s Bilateral Cooperation Fund initiative and the project “Support for Barnahus implementation in Latvia” successfully organized the international conference “Children’s House – the best for children and professionals.”
During the international conference, participants received an overview of the implementation of the Children’s House model to support child victims of violence and the benefits for professionals working in the Children’s House. Speakers at the event included representatives from the Children’s Protection Center’s Children’s House, the Children’s Clinical University Hospital, specialists from the State Police, and foreign representatives. The event was attended by experts from the Baltic Sea States Council’s Promise Network, including Shawnna van Blixen-Fenecke, who expressed great admiration for the achievements made thus far and wished continued success, Olivia Lind Haldorsson, Kristiansand Children’s House manager Anne Lise Farstad from the Norwegian Police, Knut Brobergs, a judge from the Norwegian Song og Fjordane court district, and Simona Mikec, head of the Ljubljana Children’s House in Slovenia.
The aim of the event was to inform and share experiences among child protection professionals on the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation in implementing the best interests of the child. Changes and transformations during the implementation of the Children’s House model are related to obtaining and documenting evidence of violence against children in criminal proceedings for use in court, as well as providing protection and support to victims and improving mutual cooperation among professionals.
The conference was opened by the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare, Reinis Uzulnieks, who emphasized: “We have undertaken a rather complex task – to bring together specialists from many fields under one roof – including law enforcement professionals and medical professionals – to work towards a common goal and create such a child-friendly support system – the Children’s House. I hope and believe that the launch of the first Children’s House is the foundation for setting ever higher standards and creating a better support system for children throughout Latvia. It is important to continue working on establishing branches of the Children’s House in the regions so that every victimized child receives the necessary support. I am also pleased that we have managed to ensure that the Children’s House service will be financed from the state general budget from May 1, 2024.”
Gunita Kovaļevska, head of the Children’s Protection Center, explained: “The Children’s House begins with a change in thinking, so that professionals from different sectors who work with a child who has suffered from unlawful acts and is in a difficult emotional situation, would want to work together and make this difficult process easier for the child.”
A Children’s House, or Barnahus is an internationally recognized leading model of interdisciplinary and inter-institutional cooperation for children who have suffered or witnessed violence. Such a model guarantees each child coordinated and effective cooperation and support from institutions to prevent the child from experiencing repeated emotional trauma while information about the violence is being clarified. Medical professionals, psychologists, law enforcement professionals, and social workers work together to ensure the best interests of the child.
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