Break the Barriers
From Commitment to Implementation
Removing Systemic Obstacles to Child Protection
The Break the Barriers Program is a core initiative of the 1SIGN Foundation focused on identifying and addressing structural obstacles that prevent effective child protection.
Built on more than 20 years of direct field experience, the program works at the intersection of advocacy, institutional dialogue, and practical support. Its objective is not only to raise awareness, but to improve implementation.
We focus on:
• analysing gaps between legal frameworks and real-world protection
• supporting cross-sector cooperation between institutions and practitioners
• facilitating policy dialogue and expert consultation
• strengthening measurable accountability standards
• providing targeted assistance in high-risk cases
The program recognises that child protection challenges rarely stem from the absence of laws alone. More often, they arise from fragmented systems, inconsistent coordination, and uneven enforcement.
Break the Barriers seeks to bridge these gaps through structured cooperation, transparency, and long-term engagement.
Because protecting children requires more than intention.
It requires implementation.
Protect Children Rights
Invisible Chains: Facing the Reality of Forced Labor and Exploitation
The numbers above are not abstract statistics but real lives trapped within exploitative systems, often hidden in plain sight. From agricultural fields to criminal networks, from domestic servitude to forced marriages, the forms of exploitation may differ, yet their impact remains profoundly devastating.
Crimes against children
The “Suitable” Abuser Case (EU/CZ): When Protection Mechanisms Fail
European countries are often regarded as safe environments for children. This case – one of many largely unseen cases reported by Seznam News between 2019-2025 – challenges that perception and raises serious questions about how protection systems function in practice. It also prompts reflection on whether affected children received adequate recognition, support, or remedies under Czech or EU legal frameworks.
Violation and abuse in European union
Justice Denied: EU/CZ officials failed to act and prolonged suffering in reported child abuse cases for years. These officials remain in office as the consequences of these failures continue to impact children’s lives.
Children were brutally beaten with fists and even a knife. Since 2019 repeatedly reported that children were being abused to the court, the police, and the OSPOD authorities, no one took action for years.