Government of Moldova, Germany and UNICEF open Southern Regional Integrated Assistance Centre for child victims and witnesses of crime

Cahul, 19 May 2026. The Government of the Republic of Moldova, with the financial support from the Government of Germany through KfW Development Bank, and in partnership with UNICEF, today inaugurated the Southern Regional Integrated Assistance Centre for child victims and witnesses of crime in the southern region of Moldova, the second Barnahus-type service in the country.

The new centre marks an important step in strengthening Moldova’s child protection system through integrated, child-centred services designed to reduce trauma and improve access to justice and recovery for children who are victims or witnesses of violence.

National data indicate that around two in five children in Moldova have experienced some form of violence during childhood, including physical, emotional or sexual violence. Every year in the Republic of Moldova, around 1,000 children are registered as victims of crime. Nearly one third of them are victims of sexual offences, with adolescent girls being disproportionately affected. In 2025, the Barnahus North Centre provided integrated assistance and protection services to 270 children. Building on this experience, authorities and partners aim to ensure that, starting in 2026, a comparable number of children in the southern region of Moldova will also have access to the same high-quality, specialized care and support. 

„Through this model, children will no longer have to travel to multiple institutions and recount their traumatic experiences. Barnahus means integrated, coordinated, and child-friendly services that reduce trauma and provide timely support for every child who is a victim or witness of crimes”, said the Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Natalia Plugaru.

The Barnahus model responds to these realities by bringing together justice, health, social protection and psychological support services in one coordinated setting adapted to children’s needs. Instead of children moving between institutions and repeatedly recounting traumatic experiences, professionals work together around the child in a single, safe environment.

With a strategic investment of more than EUR 1.0 million the creation of a fully operational Barnahus service in the southern region of Moldova went beyond child friendly infrastructure. It included the provision of specialized equipment and furnishings, capacity-building for multidisciplinary teams, community outreach, and the development of effective referral mechanisms, ensuring that services reach the children who need them most, at the right time. The centre will be serving the administrative-territorial units of Comrat, Ceadîr-Lunga, Vulcănești, Cahul, Leova, Cimișlia, Basarabeasca, Cantemir, and Taraclia.

The construction of the Barnahus service in the southern region of Moldova is part of the EUR 11.5 million grant project  „Strengthening the National Social Services and Systems for Vulnerable Children and Refugees in the Republic of Moldova”, financed by the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), through the KfW Development Bank and implemented by UNICEF.

„Germany is proud to partner with the Moldovan Government in this initiative which places the well-being and rights of children at its heart. This Barnahus centre will ensure access for children from all southern rayons to the specialized support they need and will facilitate a more rapid and less traumatic path to recovery”,  said H.E. Hubert Knirsch, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Moldova.  

International evidence shows that the Barnahus model reduces repeated interviews and assessments, shortens case processing times and strengthens coordination between professionals, leading to better outcomes for children while reducing long-term social and economic costs.

„Barnahus gives concrete meaning to child-centred services and efficient use of public resources. The child does not move through institutions, institutions come together around the child”,  said Maha Damaj, UNICEF Country Representative in the Republic of Moldova.  

The opening of the centre reflects Moldova’s ongoing efforts to move from fragmented responses to integrated child protection services aligned with international standards and evidence-based approaches and represents one of the Republic of Moldova's commitments under the EU accession process. 

Building on this success, a third Barnahus centre serving the central region of the country, including Chișinău, will be established  and is scheduled to become fully operational in 2027 within the EUR 10.0 million grant project „Child Protection and access to WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Health and Social Services for Ukrainian Refugees and Host Communities in the Republic of Moldova, Phase II” , financed by the German Government through  the KfW Development Bank, in partnership with UNICEF. 

About Barnahus model

Barnahus, meaning „Children’s House”, is an internationally recognised multidisciplinary model that provides coordinated services for child victims and witnesses of violence and abuse. The model brings together professionals from child protection, healthcare, law enforcement and justice sectors under one roof to ensure child-friendly, trauma-informed responses. The Barnahus model was first introduced in Moldova in 2022 as part of broader efforts to strengthen protection systems and ensure that children affected by violence receive coordinated support that protects their dignity, reduces harm and supports recovery.