On Thursday, June 17, the inaugural measure of the “Support for the deployment of Barnahus in Latvia” project took place. The partners of the project implemented by the Ministry of Welfare are the Government of Iceland's Agency for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the State SIA “Children's Clinical University Hospital” and the State Inspectorate for the Protection of the Rights of the Child. In turn, the programme manager is the Ministry of the Interior.
The Children's House (Barnahus) is a world-renowned model of inter institutional cooperation, with a particular emphasis on the interests of the child victim and a best-known approach in case of interference by law enforcement authorities. The project should be implemented by the end of March 2024. Its joint funding of the European Economic Area Programme “International police cooperation and the fight against crime” amounts to €2.07 million.
Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare, Līga Āboliņa, stressed that access to child victims of violence has been opened, both inter-institutional and inter-disciplinary. This will help to obtain high-quality evidence and bring those responsible to justice without needlessly injuring the child victims.
On the other hand, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior Ingūna Aire points out: “Today we are experiencing a historic day in Latvia! The child's home model is a long-debated and long-cherished project that has already been cemented as one of many foundation stones on the way of Latvian society to a better future. The children's house will not be just a building, but it will cover a much wider and more integrated, multi-service and specialist, including legal guards, close and synchronous, inter-institutional and particularly appropriate approach to working with children."
The project partners on the part of the Icelandic State Agency for the Rights of the Child expressed good wishes and satisfaction that it is their country's good practice that will be helpful in building the Latvian Children's Home. It will be located in the hospital facilities of Children's Clinical University. According to the hospital, it is the availability of medical assistance provided under the hospital that will contribute to better interdisciplinary cooperation. The OECD project will, on the other hand, investigate the friendly and efficient services provided by the State to victims of violence. This kind of study has not been carried out in Latvia until now.
The project includes not only the establishment of premises and technical provision, but also a new approach and a greater willingness to cooperate in the interests of the child and the investigation. The Ministry of Justice is also prepared to co-operate and support the Ministry of Welfare in order to improve the legislative acts for the commencement of the work of the Children's Home Project, in which medics, police and other law enforcement bodies, social workers and psychologists work together in the best interests of the child.