Relais Enfants - Parents

What Relais Enfants - Parents does

Relais Enfants - Parents (REP) is a Belgian non-profit association (ASBL) founded on April 23, 1995, headquartered in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels, with a staff of approximately 15 (12 of whom are psychologists). The organization maintains the relationship between children aged 0–18 and their incarcerated parents through psychological preparation for first prison visits, individual and collective supervised visits, festive visits (birthdays, Saint Nicholas, Easter), individual psychotherapy, and specialized support for incarcerated mothers with infants. REP operates directly inside 8 Belgian prison establishments across 11 sections in Brussels and Wallonia, complemented by a dedicated off-site Espace-Rencontre meeting facility at its Brussels headquarters for families in broader judicial-separation situations, including electronic monitoring and pre-trial detention.

The organization delivers no proprietary technology; its infrastructure consists of a Drupal-based website (hosted by OVH, maintained by Caravane Média), published annual reports (2015–2021), a 30th-anniversary children's book and magazine, and the Popy-the-giraffe wayfinding assets of the Girafe anxiety-reduction program. A volunteer network is a core operational layer, accompanying children through prison security checkpoints and committing to at least one year of service.

REP is fully funded by donations and grants — it charges beneficiaries nothing. Revenue streams comprise individual donations (with €40 fiscal-attestation threshold), institutional grants from Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles under formal accreditation, and project-specific support from Viva for Life (RTBF, for first-visit preparation) and Rise For Kids (for the Girafe project). The organization is a member of Children of Prisoners Europe and the International Federation of Children of Prisoners Parents, and was publicly endorsed in the 2018 Brussels Francophone Parliament resolution on child-parent contact in prisons. Approximately 86% of expenditure is personnel cost; the organization served ~1,600 children and ~700 detained parents in 2024.

Name

Relais Enfants - Parents

Legal name

asbl Relais Enfants-Parents

Website

https://relaisenfantsparents.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Relais Enfants - Parents is a Belgian non-profit founded in 1995 that delivers psychological support and supervised visits to maintain bonds between children and their incarcerated parents across Belgian prisons and a Brussels meeting facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Family Engagement & Caregiver Support Programs (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAK)

Keywords

• Child welfare services
• Family reunification support
• Prison family visits
• Psychological counseling
• Incarceration support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Josse-ten-Noode (Brussels)

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Legacies: The organization raises funds through individual donations and legacies. Donors making contributions of at least €40 receive a fiscal attestation enabling tax deductions in Belgium. Bank details: IBAN BE09-0682-3987-4357, BIC GKCCBEBB (Belfius).
2. Institutional Grants and Subsidies: Funded by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (which grants official recognition), and supported by organizations such as Viva for Life for specific programs (preparing children for first prison visits). Grants fund staff salaries, as 86% of expenditures go to personnel costs.
3. Project-specific Funding: Rise For Kids provided funding for the 'Girafe' (Popy the giraffe) project, covering pedagogical materials, stickers, badges, and calendars to reduce child anxiety during prison visits. This represents project-based external funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Relais Enfants-Parents is a Belgian non-profit association that delivers free psychosocial services to maintain the bond between children and their incarcerated parents. Its core offerings include psychological preparation for first prison visits, supervised individual and collective prison visits, festive visits (birthdays, Saint Nicholas, Easter), mother-and-baby prison support, individual psychotherapy, and the Espace-Rencontre neutral meeting space for families in judicial separation situations. All services are delivered on-site by 12 specialized psychologists across 8 Belgian prisons and a dedicated Brussels meeting facility.

Product overview

Relais Enfants-Parents is a nonprofit organization offering a unified set of services centered on maintaining family bonds between children and their incarcerated parents. The core offerings include visit preparation, individual visits, collective visits, festive visits, Maman & Bébé en Prison support, and individual counseling—all delivered by specialized psychologists. The organization also operates the Espace-Rencontre service for families dealing with judicial custody situations, supported by volunteer shuttle services and speech groups. Recent offerings include the 30th Anniversary Children's Book and Magazine publication, while the Girafe Project provides anxiety-reducing visual guidance for children during prison visits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visit Preparation Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,600 children supported in 2024; 86% of funds directed to frontline personnel
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelais Enfants-Parents is a member of Children of Prisoners Europe, a European network of organizations advocating for children of imprisoned parents. COPE issued a COVID-19 action call signed by 15 child rights organizations. The organization is also a member of the International Federation of Children of Prisoners Parents.
• Office de la Naissance et de l'Enfance (ONE)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerONE published video capsules created by Relais Enfants-Parents on its Parentalités.be platform, helping disseminate information about the organization's work to parents and professionals in the francophone Belgian child welfare ecosystem.
• Délégué général aux droits de l'enfant (Bernard de Vos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Délégué général aux droits de l'enfant publicly praised Relais Enfants-Parents on its 25th anniversary in April 2020, referencing the organization's work guided by Article 9 § 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Délégué also co-authored a proposal collection with the Observatoire de l'Enfance.
• Plateforme francophone du volontariatmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelais Enfants-Parents is a member of the Plateforme francophone du volontariat, a network supporting and coordinating volunteer organizations in French-speaking Belgium.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Children Heard and Seen: UK charity dedicated to supporting children and families affected by parental imprisonment through one-to-one support, prison visits, and family liaison — the closest mission-aligned peer to Relais Enfants-Parents in another country.
• Shine for Kids: Australian non-profit providing mentoring, transport, and supervised visits for children with an incarcerated parent — directly comparable service model (visit support, child accompaniment) to Relais Enfants-Parents.
• Hour Children: US non-profit supporting children of incarcerated mothers through visits, residential programs, and re-entry support — analogous mission of preserving mother-child bonds during and after incarceration.
• NEPACS: UK charity offering support to prisoners' families, including prison visits, transport for children, and family liaison — closely mirrors the multi-pronged family support model.
• FARAPEJ: French federation of associations supporting prisoners and their families, operating in a similar francophone European context and addressing children of incarcerated parents among its priorities.

Others

• Children of Prisoners Europe (COPE): European network of which Relais Enfants-Parents is a member — comparable in mission advocacy but functions as a coordinating/advocacy umbrella rather than direct service provider.
• Sesame Workshop (Sesame Street in Communities): Operates a dedicated Incarceration toolkit providing educational resources for children of incarcerated parents — adjacent rather than directly competitive, with a media/content model rather than in-person service.
• Prison Fellowship (Angel Tree): US faith-based organization with Angel Tree program that supports children of incarcerated parents through gifts and local church volunteers — adjacent mission but operates via volunteer parish networks rather than clinical/psychological service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Relais Enfants - Parents