“A psychosocial team is expanding, alongside a new project for young people aged 14 to 18 who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour.”
About the Participants
Participants include Barnahus service leaders and practitioners, national and regional coordinators, policymakers and public authorities, justice and health professionals, researchers, trainers, evaluators, and advocates. They bring experience of running established services, expanding Barnahus nationally, developing new locations, strengthening multidisciplinary practice, and building evidence and quality. Others are at an earlier stage and are joining to learn from peers who are further ahead.
Current registrations150+ participants expected
Represented30 countries and territories represented
Participant snapshot
Last updated 2026-10-08
Areas of work and expertise
Participants could select more than one area.
Multidisciplinary interagency collaboration37
Child protection26
Mental wellbeing21
Criminal investigation13
Physical wellbeing7
Participants’ role in Barnahus
Participants could select more than one contribution.
Helping to expand Barnahus nationally24
Quality assurance and evaluation21
Providing training and professional development18
Coordinating a national network14
Policymaking12
Helping to establish a first national location5
Training alumni2
EU and European-level support1
What participants hope to learn about at the Forum
Participants are coming to the Forum with practical questions about how Barnahus can grow, improve, and remain true to its standards. They want to strengthen cooperation across services, make children’s participation meaningful, understand impact, and secure sustainable support. They are also looking closely at the realities of practice, including forensic interviewing, recorded evidence and remote testimony, therapy and medical care, child-friendly feedback, support for very young children, information sharing across agencies and borders, access outside major cities, harmful sexual behaviour, and the thoughtful use of technology.
“I hope to learn about good practices and proven solutions from other countries that could inspire and contribute to addressing current challenges more effectively in Lithuania.”
“We really enjoyed the scaling masterclass and meeting other people from the Network. We value this and would like networking time at the Forum.”
“It would be valuable to hear a geographically diverse range of Barnahus practices and lessons learned.”
“I am particularly interested in practical solutions for strengthening cooperation and consistency across Barnahus centres as Moldova develops its national network.”
“I am particularly interested in learning how to create a child-friendly feedback system at Barnahus that would make it easy and comfortable for children to share their experiences, thoughts, and suggestions about the service they received.”
“I’m especially hoping to learn more about how to implement Barnahus in practice: at what level it should be organised, how to bring existing structures and services together into one functioning system, how to deal with ICT and information-sharing systems, and who should have overall responsibility for coordinating the new pathway.”
“Practical ways to strengthen multi-agency cooperation, cross-border information sharing, and referral pathways in an international environment, so that child victims receive timely, coordinated, and trauma-informed support.”
“How can services roll out rapidly while remaining faithful to the Barnahus standards?”
“How can children who speak another language be interviewed by video with an interpreter?”
Challenges participants want to explore
Share of substantive responses; one response may include more than one theme.
National implementation, expansion, and policy28%
Multidisciplinary and interagency collaboration27%
Evaluation, evidence, and quality21%
Forensic interviews and criminal justice20%
Child participation and children’s rights19%
Therapy, trauma support, and mental health14%
Topics participants plan to follow
Share of respondents.
Child participation24%
Policy level recommendations22%
Evaluation17%
Safeguarding14%
Therapy14%
Good news from the Network
Theme
“A second location opened this year, strengthening timely, coordinated support for children affected by violence.”
“Children increasingly choose to use the centre’s services and take part in psychosocial rehabilitation, showing that they see it as safe and supportive.”
“The national service specification has been completed, supporting the confirmed national rollout of Child Houses.”
“A new study is evaluating the service and supporting evidence-informed development.”
“Children’s feedback has been strengthened, alongside work to measure the difference the service makes to children.”
“Facilities have been renovated to make them more welcoming and child-friendly.”
“Strong progress has been made with combined parent-child cognitive behavioural therapy for families.”
“Psychologists are training to interview children, and the service is moving to a purpose-built site with court links.”
“A national association has been established to connect services and strengthen their collective voice.”
“Work is under way to improve the quality of criminal procedures and strengthen partners’ understanding of coordinated services for children.”
“Barnahus South in Cahul is now operational, bringing multidisciplinary, child-centred support closer to children and families in southern Moldova.”
“A legislative proposal is being developed to establish a nationwide network and create a clearer, child-friendly pathway through protection, justice, and care.”
“Forensic medical screenings are now available in all Danish Barnahus.”
“A new and improved service has opened in eastern Estonia.”
“New agreements are supporting the development of services in regions that do not yet have them.”
“A new self-assessment tool, regional design support, training, and child-participation work are helping to advance coordinated services nationally.”
“Online support is being provided to children affected by sexual abuse and exploitation.”
“A joint European implementation project has been completed, together with practical guidance for national authorities developing Barnahus.”
“An Icelandic team travelled to Ukraine to train colleagues in trauma-informed work with children during the war.”
“A new tool is helping children’s voices inform the service.”
“The number of cases reaching final judgment has increased.”
“Capacity to provide psychosocial support has continued to expand.”
“The value of Child Houses has been recognised in the national strategy addressing violence against women and girls.”
“Our organisation became an associate member of the Barnahus Network.”
“Service capacity and quality are developing, alongside a child-participation tool that invites children to create their own bubble.”
“Interagency cooperation is being strengthened so that children’s interests and protection are safeguarded throughout criminal proceedings.”
“The AIM assessment approach is beginning to be implemented in Barnahus work.”
“Our new Barnahus law is making progress towards adoption.”
“More judges, prosecutors, and lawyers understand Barnahus and how it is regulated under Spanish law.”
“Many professionals have now received Barnahus training.”
“The role of health play specialists at the Lighthouse has been shared at a national professional conference.”
“Different professions are connecting around shared goals.”
“The multidisciplinary team has continued to grow.”
“Childhood-Haus has been recognised in the Baden-Württemberg coalition agreement, bringing sustainable funding a step closer.”
“A first assessment of Barnahus’s impact on the criminal justice system has been completed.”
“A combined Barnahus and child-trauma therapy approach has been presented at scientific meetings.”
“The Children’s House has become a well-recognised institution within the national system.”
“We are making progress in both policy and practice to support referrals to the therapy room.”
“We are contributing to the What Matters To Us child study.”
“EMDR is becoming more widely used in trauma-informed care.”
“Political parties are advancing a proposal that would allow professionals to speak with and examine children in unsafe family situations without prior parental or guardian consent.”
“Joining the network as an Australian organisation.”
“To be part of the Network.”
Kids Voices Foundation
“Centrum LOCIKA supported 125 children over the past year and is building partnerships to expand coordinated services across the Czech Republic.”
“Dubai is developing an integrated child protection approach that brings authorities and services together around a more coordinated, child-friendly response.”
“Agencies have agreed to begin using the Promise Hub in Ireland.”
“Multi-year funding has been announced for Scotland’s Bairns’ Hoose partnerships, supporting the network’s continued development.”
Participant map
Participating countries and territories
Albania, Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and United States.
Last updated 2026-10-08