Stop It Now Brussels Helpline Faces Closure Over Funding Gap

The Stop It Now Brussels helpline, a free and anonymous support service for people concerned about their sexual attraction to minors, is facing imminent closure after losing its funding from the Brussels regional government. The service, which has been operating since September 2022, will suspend activities as of July 1, 2026.

According to RTBF, the board of directors of the Centre d’Appui Bruxellois (CAB), which administers the helpline, made the decision after receiving no confirmation of funding for the 2026 budget year from Safe.brussels, the Brussels prevention and security agency that has financed the project since its creation in December 2021.

A Low-Cost Service with High Impact

Noémie Bourdon, coordinator at the Centre d’Appui Bruxellois, emphasized the service’s cost-effectiveness. “The service is low-cost: essentially personnel costs, between €40,000 and €50,000 per year, plus operating costs of about €10,000 per year,” she told La Libre via the Belga news agency.

Four part-time staff members operate the helpline, which receives several hundred calls and emails each year. The service’s website records more than 3,300 visits per month — a figure Bourdon noted is particularly significant given that the service has been unable to advertise due to previous funding constraints.

“Unlike our Flemish colleagues, we already had funding problems last year, which prevents us, for example, from advertising our service,” Bourdon explained. “Yet, even without communication, we receive calls, which proves that the need exists.”

Regional Disparity

The funding crisis affecting Stop It Now Brussels stands in stark contrast to the situation in Flanders, where the Flemish counterpart — Stop It Now Vlaanderen — enjoys stable funding from the Flemish Region and is not affected by this crisis. Launched in 2017, the Flemish service has benefited from consistent regional support, while the Brussels French-language service has faced recurring financial uncertainty since its inception.

This disparity highlights the different policy priorities and fiscal capacities of Belgium’s regional governments. As reported by 7sur7, the Brussels service has struggled with funding gaps that have prevented even basic promotional activities.

Political Response and Decision Deadline

The office of Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès (MR) has signaled willingness to preserve the service. Contacted by Le Soir, Dilliès’ cabinet stated: “The minister-president’s intention is to preserve field-level services deemed priorities, particularly those that contribute to prevention, safety, and protection of vulnerable populations.”

A final decision on funding is expected by July 16, 2026, during the Brussels Council of Ministers. However, with the suspension already taking effect on July 1, even a positive decision later this month may not prevent a disruption in service continuity.

Broader Funding Crisis in Brussels

The Stop It Now Brussels situation is not an isolated case. On April 21, 2026, 40 Brussels aid organizations — including Diogenes, Casa Legal, Foyer, and vzw Straatverplegers (Street Nurses) — issued a joint warning about the “critical situation” caused by lack of funding guarantees, as reported by Bruzz. These organizations warned that over 100,000 vulnerable people and more than 50 jobs were at risk.

The broader context includes significant budgetary challenges for the Brussels-Capital Region. The government of Minister-President Dilliès took office on February 14, 2026, after a prolonged political crisis of over 18 months without a government. The 2026 budget was described as increasing regional debt by €1.7 billion, and organizations have noted that subsidies have not been indexed to inflation, compounding financial pressures.

The Stop It Now Model

Stop It Now is an international prevention program founded in the United States in 1992 by Fran Henry, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. The model focuses on primary prevention — intervening before abuse occurs by providing anonymous, confidential support to individuals who recognize they have problematic sexual thoughts or behaviors toward minors. The program operates in multiple countries including the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, and France.

In Belgium, three regional helplines exist: Stop It Now Vlaanderen (Flanders, launched 2017, stable funding), Stop It Now Bruxelles (Brussels, launched 2022, now threatened), and SéOS (Wallonia, under the Women’s Rights Plan of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation).

What’s at Stake

The potential closure of Stop It Now Brussels represents a significant gap in child sexual abuse prevention infrastructure in the French-speaking Brussels region. As one of the few tools in Brussels focused specifically on primary prevention, its loss would leave a critical void.

“The service is low-cost and the need is proven,” Bourdon emphasized. The question now is whether the Brussels government will act to preserve a service that, for approximately €60,000 per year, provides a vital safety net for prevention.

All eyes are on the July 16 Council of Ministers meeting, where the fate of Stop It Now Brussels — and potentially dozens of other vulnerable social services — will be decided.