UNICEF and its partners have opened the first child-centered safe space in Yerevan, providing victims of violence with multi-disciplinary and inter-agency protection against revictimization and promoting child-centered justice procedures.  

Victimized children will also receive crisis support services from relevant professionals.  

Children will be able to undergo medical and psychological examinations to determine what support services they need.

. A multidisciplinary team of professionals, including a psychologist, social worker and physician, will provide crisis intervention and determine the need for short- or long-term therapeutic and other support services.

This new model was launched by UNICEF in cooperation with the Child Protection Center of the Armenian Relief Fund, with the financial support of the European Union. Armenia’s Investigative Committee, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the Ministries of Justice and Health, as well as the Ministry of Internal Affairs backed the program.

With UNICEF support, changes were made to Armenia’s Code of Criminal Procedure so that only qualified forensic psychologist-interviewers can interrogate children. In addition, UNICEF supported the Ministry of Justice in developing training modules and further training and certification of 53 psychologists.

A similar center is planned for Kapan, a town in Armenia’s Syunik province.