What Statens Barnehus does

Statens Barnehus is a Norwegian state agency operating under the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, established in 2009. It runs a nationwide network of "barnehus" (children's houses) — interdisciplinary facilities that serve children and youth aged 0–18 who are victims of or witnesses to violence, sexual abuse, neglect, or other traumatic experiences, as well as adults with developmental disabilities in cases involving sexual abuse. The first barnehus opened in Trondheim in 2009, followed by Stavanger in 2010 and Ålesund in 2012; the network has since expanded to 13 locations across Norway, including a dedicated Sami branch in Finnmark that opened in 2024.

The agency's core service model brings together police investigators, prosecutors, child welfare services, medical practitioners, and psychologists in a single child-friendly facility to minimize secondary trauma. Core offerings include facilitated forensic interviews (barnelovens § 239 alternative), pediatric medical examinations, acute and long-term therapeutic follow-up, advice and guidance for families, and outreach/training programs for professional referrers such as schools, kindergartens, and child welfare officers. Operations are fully funded through the Norwegian state budget (statsbudsjettet) via the Ministry of Justice and Public Security; Statens Barnehus does not generate commercial revenue and is not a fee-for-service provider. Its primary "customers" in an operational sense are the children/families receiving services and the professional agencies (police, child welfare, health services) referring cases.

The organization operates as a non-commercial state administrative body (statsforvaltning). With named staff across the principal locations (Tromsø ~17, Stavanger ~14, Trondheim ~9, Ålesund ~7–8, Finnmark ~9, plus staff at other houses), total headcount across the network exceeds the firmographic estimate of 11–50 employees and likely approaches or exceeds 100 when all locations and administrative functions are included. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary technology platforms, or digital product offerings were disclosed in the available data; service delivery is human-professional and facility-based.

Name

Statens Barnehus

Legal name

Statens barnehus

Website

https://statensbarnehus.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Norwegian state agency under the Ministry of Justice operating 13 children's houses (barnehus) that provide coordinated forensic interviews, medical examinations, and therapeutic follow-up for child victims of violence and sexual abuse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Protection and Forensic Interview Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF), Juvenile Justice System (Courts & Detention) (BPAIAFAF), Forensic & Correctional Behavioral Health Services (HLAFACAM), Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Child abuse investigation
• Forensic interview services
• Child welfare support
• Victim advocacy services
• Multidisciplinary assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Bodø

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funded Services: Statens Barnehus is a government-funded public service under the Norwegian police and justice system. Services are provided free of charge to all users (children, families, and vulnerable adults). Funding comes from the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Police, Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion, and Ministry of Health and Care through police district budgets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Statens Barnehus operates as a nationwide network of 13 multidisciplinary competence centers providing child-friendly forensic interviews, pediatric medical examinations, psychological follow-up and treatment, anonymous counseling, and outreach services for children and vulnerable adults affected by violence or sexual abuse. Services are triggered by police reports or court orders and are co-located with police, courts, healthcare, and child welfare specialists to minimize re-traumatization. All services are provided free of charge as a fully government-funded public service under the Norwegian Police Service and Ministry of Justice and Police.

Product overview

Statens Barnehus (The Children's Houses of Norway) is a network of 13 multidisciplinary competence centers operated under the Norwegian Police Service, providing a unified approach to child abuse investigation and support. The organization offers five core services: facilitated forensic interviews, medical examinations, follow-up and treatment, advice and guidance, and outreach/professional development. These services are delivered through regional offices across Norway, with each location providing specialized facilities for child-friendly interviews, medical exams, and therapeutic support. The organization serves children up to 18 years old and vulnerable adults with intellectual disabilities who may have witnessed or been victims of violence or sexual abuse. Additional offerings include multilingual information materials, body safety education tools, and multidisciplinary consultation teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tilrettelagte avhør (Facilitated Forensic Interviews)
• Medisinsk undersøkelse (Medical Examinations)
• Oppfølging og behandling (Follow-up and Treatment)
• Råd og veiledning (Advice and Guidance)
• Utadrettet virksomhet (Outreach and Professional Development)
• Konsultasjonsteam (Consultation Teams)

Quantifiable outcome

• Children under 16 do not need to testify in court directly - video recordings from facilitated interviews are used instead
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, specialized and supporting.

• Møre og Romsdal Police DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMøre og Romsdal Police District provides organizational oversight and funding for Statens Barnehus Ålesund. The barnehus is an integral part of the police district's services for handling crimes against children.
• Sogn og Fjordane Police DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSogn og Fjordane Police District collaborates with Statens Barnehus Ålesund, which also serves northern parts of Sogn og Fjordane county.
• Helse Sunnmøre / Ålesund HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelse Sunnmøre at Ålesund Hospital provides pediatric medical expertise for examinations at Statens Barnehus Ålesund. Examinations are performed by experienced doctors and nurses approximately two half-days per week.
• St. Olavs Hospital / OvergrepsenhetencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim provides medical examination services through their abuse unit. A pediatrician and specialist nurse come to Statens Barnehus Trondheim every Thursday.
• UNN (University Hospital of North Norway)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNN provides pediatric medical services for Statens Barnehus Tromsø through their children's department. Experienced pediatricians and nurses conduct examinations in specially equipped rooms.
• Stavanger University HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStavanger University Hospital is responsible for conducting medical examinations at Statens Barnehus Stavanger. Experienced pediatricians and specialist nurses perform examinations in specially equipped rooms two half-days per week.
• Consultation Team (Trondheim)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultidisciplinary team including representatives from Barneklinikken St. Olavs hospital, BUFetat, BUP klinikk, Politiet, Familievernkontoret, NOK Trøndelag, Statsforvalteren. Meets every two weeks for case consultations.
• Consultation Team (Tromsø)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly multidisciplinary consultation team including Barnemedisin, Tromsø kommune health services, Politiet, SMISO, RVTS NORD, Familievernkontoret, ATV, and Statens barnehus Tromsø. Addresses cases of sexual abuse, violence, neglect, genital mutilation, and radicalization.
• PUH Consultation Team (Stavanger)specializedStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultation team specifically for violence and sexual abuse against persons with developmental disabilities and other particularly vulnerable individuals over 16 years.
• SSA Consultation Team (Stavanger)specializedStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultation team for children and youth with problematic or harmful sexual behavior. Receives concerns and provides guidance on intervention.
• Norwegian Government - National Responsibility for Sami ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnmark Barnehus holds national responsibility for Sami children with specialized Sami language and cultural expertise. Has Sami-speaking counselors available.
• District Courts (Tingretter)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive district courts (Nordmøre, Romsdal, Sunnmøre, Søre Sunnmøre, Fjordane) use Statens Barnehus Ålesund for legal proceedings involving children. Judges observe interviews remotely via video link.
• RVTS NORD (Resource Center on Violence and Traumatic Stress)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRVTS NORD is part of the consultation team at Tromsø, providing expertise on violence, traumatic stress, and suicide prevention in Northern Norway.
• SMISO (Support Center against Incest and Sexual Abuse)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMISO participates in the consultation team at Tromsø, providing specialized support services for incest and sexual abuse victims.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Politiet (Norwegian Police Service): The Norwegian Police Service is both the parent/oversight organization for Statens Barnehus and a broader institutional player in crime investigation. As the host institution it shares infrastructure and case-referral flows with Barnehus, making it the closest large incumbent in the child-protection investigative chain.

Regional players

• NOK (Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies): NOK is a Norwegian knowledge center for violence and traumatic stress research that participates directly in Statens Barnehus Trondheim consultation teams. While research-focused rather than service-delivery, it is a key partner and comparable domestic institution in the violence/trauma response ecosystem.
• RVTS NORD (Resource Center on Violence and Traumatic Stress, Northern Norway): RVTS NORD provides expertise on violence, traumatic stress, and suicide prevention in Northern Norway and participates in Statens Barnehus Tromsø consultation teams. It is a comparable Norwegian regional player in the broader violence-response ecosystem with overlapping practitioner training and consultation roles.
• SMISO (Support Center against Incest and Sexual Abuse, Norway): SMISO provides specialized support services for incest and sexual abuse victims in Norway and participates directly in Barnehus Tromsø consultation teams. It serves an overlapping beneficiary population and complements Barnehus services with longer-term victim support.
• BUFetat (Norwegian Child Welfare Service): BUFetat is the Norwegian state child welfare agency that is a core referral source and consultation partner for Statens Barnehus. While focused on child protection more broadly, it operates in the same child welfare system and shares overlapping client populations and practitioners.

Others

• St. Olavs Hospital Overgrepsenheten (Abuse Unit): St. Olavs Hospital's specialized abuse unit provides pediatric medical examinations at Barnehus Trondheim every Thursday. As a clinical partner it provides a comparable medical-forensic service on the healthcare side, complementing Barnehus's coordinating function.

Direct peers

• De Nationale Børnehus (Denmark): Denmark's national network of children's houses (Børnehus) provides multidisciplinary child abuse investigation and support services following the Barnahus framework. Operates under the Danish Socialstyrelsen with the same integrated police-medical-social service model.
• Stiftelsen Barnahus (Sweden's Barnahus network): Sweden operates an almost identical Barnahus ('children's house') model for child abuse investigations, founded on the same Nordic multidisciplinary principle of bringing police, medical, and social services under one roof. It is the closest international peer in terms of mission, scope, and integrated service design.
• Barnahús (Iceland): Iceland's Barnahús provides the same multidisciplinary child-friendly forensic interview, medical examination, and therapeutic services as Statens Barnehus. It is a direct Nordic peer sharing the Barnahus model and offering comparable integrated services to abused children.
• Children's Advocacy Centers (US - NCA network): The US National Children's Alliance accredits a network of Children's Advocacy Centers that coordinate multidisciplinary responses to child abuse investigations, including forensic interviews, medical exams, and treatment. They are the closest functional peer in scale and service integration despite operating in a different legal system.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/barnehusetHamar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/statens-barnehus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Statens Barnehus