Regulatory enactment

Regulations of the Child Protection Centre

Issued in accordance with Section 16, Paragraph one of the State Administration Structure Law

I. General Provisions

1. The Child Protection Centre (hereinafter – the Centre) is a direct administration institution under the supervision of the Minister of Welfare operating in the field of child protection.

2. The purpose of the Centre’s activities is to provide support in the field of child protection to children and to the child protection subjects referred to in Section 5 of the Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Child, as well as to supervise the observance of children’s rights and interests.

II. Functions, Tasks and Competence of the Centre

3. The Centre shall perform the following functions:
   3.1. coordinate cooperation between institutions and organisations involved in the field of child protection;
   3.2. analyse the situation, forecast the required volume of services and assess the need for services in the field of child protection;
   3.3. ensure the implementation of the interinstitutional cooperation programme “Barnahouse”;
   3.4. provide consultations and support services for ensuring child protection;
   3.5. provide methodological support for ensuring child protection;
   3.6. supervise the observance of children’s rights and interests, as well as monitor compliance with regulatory enactments in the field of child protection;
   3.7. ensure public information and education on children’s rights and child protection issues;
   3.8. perform other functions within its competence as prescribed by the relevant regulatory enactments.

4. In order to perform the functions referred to in Paragraph 3 of these Regulations, the Centre shall, within its competence, carry out the following tasks:
   4.1. provide support for coordinated interaction between institutions and organisations involved in child protection, ensuring clarity of roles, responsibilities and areas of activity, and strengthening the effectiveness of interinstitutional cooperation;
   4.2. collect and analyse information on preventive, secondary and tertiary services required by children and families within the child protection system, ensure cross-sectoral transparency of the child protection system and the implementation of these services, involving children in the assessment of service needs;
   4.3. inform institutions and organisations involved in child protection about current developments in the field;
   4.4. cooperate with international organisations, foreign institutions, non-governmental organisations and experts;
   4.5. obtain, compile and analyse information necessary for the development and implementation of child protection policy;
   4.6. obtain, compile and analyse information provided by municipalities regarding the child protection situation in municipalities;
   4.7. submit proposals to ministries for the development, implementation and updating of policy planning documents and regulatory enactments, as well as for the implementation of services and other necessary measures to improve the situation in the field of child protection;
   4.8. cooperate with the child protection subjects referred to in Section 5 of the Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Child, and provide them with consultations and recommendations for ensuring and improving child protection;
   4.9. provide assistance to children in crisis situations and assess the need for psychological support, developing crisis plans in cooperation with involved parties, including actions and procedures in the field of child protection;
   4.10. ensure the operation of the interdisciplinary cooperation model of the interinstitutional programme “Barnahouse”, and prepare and support specialists who provide social rehabilitation services for children in regions;
   4.11. ensure the operation of the children’s and adolescents’ Trust Line;
   4.12. develop interdisciplinary and interinstitutionally synchronised guidelines, methodological materials and recommendations for child protection;
   4.13. organise training, seminars, conferences and other educational activities for professionals working in the field of child protection in order to promote a unified understanding of child protection issues, ensuring that such activities comply with current national and international child rights regulations and include internationally approved methods and best practices;
   4.14. ensure the implementation of training programmes for chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and members of orphan’s courts by officials of the Centre responsible for supervision, methodological assistance and functional and institutional oversight of orphan’s courts, as well as ensure the acquisition of the special knowledge in child protection referred to in Section 5¹, Paragraph one of the Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Child by officials and employees of the Centre in accordance with their competence;
   4.15. provide methodological support to orphan’s courts, out-of-family care support centres, municipal child protection cooperation groups, out-of-family care institutions, crisis centres, child supervision service providers, children’s camps, boarding schools, sports schools, accommodation service providers and other institutions and organisations involved in child care and protection;
   4.16. provide information to the public and the media, publish informative materials and social advertising;
   4.17. monitor and control the observance of the Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Child and other regulatory enactments governing child protection, as well as assess whether institutions and organisations comply with appropriate standards and procedures in the field of child protection;
   4.18. provide other support services and perform other tasks in the field of child protection.

5. The Centre shall have the following rights:
   5.1. submit proposals to the Supervisory Board of the interinstitutional cooperation programme “Barnahouse” and to the responsible sectoral ministries regarding measures to be implemented for the improvement of the programme, including its adaptation to new situations and needs;
   5.2. based on information provided by private individuals, State or local government institutions, or on its own initiative, verify the activities of any State or local government institution, non-governmental organisation, or other natural or legal person within the Centre’s competence, prepare an inspection report on the findings, and issue orders to rectify identified violations;
   5.3. request and receive free of charge from private individuals, State or local government institutions, and non-governmental organisations the information and documents necessary for the performance of its tasks;
   5.4. participate in international and foreign institutional cooperation projects, programmes and events in the field of child protection;
   5.5. involve representatives of ministries, other State administration institutions, municipalities and other institutions, as well as associations and foundations, in addressing State administration matters, establish working groups and organise interinstitutional meetings;
   5.6. establish consultative expert councils in the fields within the Centre’s competence, involving representatives of other institutions;
   5.7. where necessary, invite officials and employees of law enforcement institutions for the performance of the Centre’s tasks;
   5.8. collect fees for paid services provided by the Centre in accordance with the price list of paid services;
   5.9. exercise other rights prescribed by external regulatory enactments.

III. Structure of the Centre and Competence of Officials

6. The work of the Centre shall be managed by the Director of the Centre, who shall be appointed to and removed from office by the Minister of Welfare.

7. The Director of the Centre may have deputies. The competence and responsibilities of the Director’s deputies shall be determined by the Director.

8. The structure of the Centre, which includes the Child Rights Supervision Service, departments, divisions, permanent units and other structural units ensuring the Centre’s operation, shall be determined by the Director.

IV. Ensuring Lawfulness of the Centre’s Activities and Reporting

9. The Director of the Centre shall ensure the lawfulness of the Centre’s activities and shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining a system for reviewing administrative decisions.

10. An administrative act or actual action issued or performed by an official of the Centre (except the Director) may be contested by submitting an application to the Director of the Centre. The decision of the Director may be appealed to a court in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Law.

11. An administrative act or actual action issued or performed by the Director of the Centre may be contested in the Ministry of Welfare. The decision of the Ministry of Welfare may be appealed to a court in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Law.

12. The Centre shall prepare and submit to the Minister of Welfare an annual report on the performance of the Centre’s functions and the use of State budget funds allocated to the Centre.

V. Final Provisions

13. These Regulations shall enter into force on 1 January 2024.

14. Cabinet Regulation No. 611 of 7 September 2021, “Regulations of the State Inspectorate for Protection of Children’s Rights” (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2021, No. 174; 2023, No. 44), shall be repealed.