In collaboration with experts from four member organisations, WAVE developed a toolkit for victim-friendly judicial practice in child custody, contact and visitation matters. WAVE members involved in the project are the Autonomous Women’s House Zagreb (AWHZ) from Croatia, NANE Women’s Rights Association (Women For Women Together Against Violence) from Hungary, the Central Information Office of Autonomous Women’s Shelters (ZIF) from Germany, and the Women’s Rights Foundation (WRF) from Malta. WAVE also included the expertise of Hague Mothers based in the UK, on a consultancy basis.

Safety as the best interest of the child – The WAVE toolkit for victim-friendly judicial practice in child custody, contact and visitation matters

The WAVE toolkit “Safety as the best interest of the child” can be used interdisciplinarily and is intended for all those involved in the fields of women’s and child protection. The aim is to address and ensure the linkage between protection against violence and decisions on child custody, contact, visitation and access, including the review and execution of these decisions. This toolkit applies to justice personnel – judges, court appointed experts, other professionals and practitioners who are involved in the proceedings, decision-making, review and execution of child custody, contact and visitation decisions. This includes the police, child and youth welfare office staff, guardianship authority, as well as those who work directly with mothers affected by violence and their children.