Before services can launch, national commitment must blossom. Here we celebrate a few milestones that PROMISE pilot countries accomplished during 2016:

• Latvia: A National Council of Experts from ministries, agencies and other organizations has expressed support to establish a Barnahus and are ready to participate in a new project on the introduction of the model in Latvia. The Council on the Prevention of Crime, chaired by Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis, announced on 22 June 2016 its support of the model as a solution to improve the practices related to working with a child victim in the framework of the criminal procedure. The Council requested that the Ministries of Justice, Interior, Welfare, and Health plus the General Prosecutor assess the possibilities of piloting the model in the Riga region for one year. The Ministry of Welfare, the Ministry of Justice and foundation “Centrs “Dardedze”” are seeking the necessary funding. 
• Estonia: Estonia will launch a pilot of the Barnahus model in 2017 in northern  Estonia – Tallinn and Harju county. Practical preparation is underway to set up multi-agency collaboration among different stakeholders, find the staff, ensure the necessary premise, etc. The possibility to pilot the model in southern Estonia is being explored with group of state and regional partners.
• Malta: The Family Minister mentioned the Children’s House model in a recent speech. New legislation on child protection was debated in Parliament this summer. A task force is discussing the Children’s House model and the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity seems to be interested in the model. The Ministry is looking for a suitable building and one option is being explored more thoroughly. 
• Germany: is planning to open a Children’s House “light” in Leipzig – as the first of 3 (Hamburg, Leipzig and Frankfurt). The City of Leipzig, the State of Saxony and the Government of Germany are foreseen be involved long term in ensuring the sustainability. The World Childhood Foundation will fund select equipment, staff, and training.
• Practical preparations continue in a number of pilot countries. We hope to see multiple countries launch MD/IA service provision in early 2017.