HFC is joining the B-FRAME project, a new two-year initiative funded through the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme, to strengthen child protection and improve access to child-friendly justice and support services in Romania.
The project responds to the continuing scale of child abuse in Romania. In 2025, authorities recorded 20,403 cases of child abuse, neglect and exploitation, including 1,712 cases of sexual abuse. The esc_ABUZ reporting helpline also received more than 50,000 reports of child sexual abuse material. These figures underline the need for stronger, more coordinated systems to protect children and respond to abuse.
Through B-FRAME, project partners will prepare to establish nine Barnahus-type centres across nine counties, bringing professionals and services closer together to meet the needs of children affected by abuse.
The project will also strengthen the capacity of more than 340 professionals, including social workers, police officers, prosecutors, judges, doctors and psychologists, with at least 180 taking part in dedicated training.
A further focus will be improving child-friendly procedures and strengthening the legal and institutional framework for responding to abuse, including work on video-recorded interviews, online sexual exploitation and digital evidence.
HFC’s participation in B-FRAME reflects its commitment to strengthening coordinated, child-centred approaches to protection and justice. By working alongside project partners and professionals across different sectors, HFC will contribute to efforts to develop more effective and child-friendly responses to abuse and exploitation.
The initiative builds on Romania’s experience with the first Barnahus-style pilot centre, opened in Bucharest in 2022. Through its participation, HFC will contribute to strengthening coordinated, child-centred approaches to protection and justice, working with partners and professionals across relevant sectors.
B-FRAME aims to help create a safer and more coordinated system in which children affected by abuse can access the protection, support and justice they need.
Read more:Child victims of physical and sexual abuse