Hintalovon Foundation marks its 10th anniversary with the first Children's Rights Awards in Hungary

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Eurochild member Hintalovon Child Rights Foundation has launched three new Children's Rights Awards to recognise professionals and artists whose work advances children's rights and wellbeing in Hungary.

As part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, the Hintalovon Child Rights Foundation presented its first-ever Children's Rights Awards on 12 June 2026 in Budapest. The awards honour individuals whose work has made a significant contribution to creating a safer, more inclusive and more child-centred society.

For the past decade, Hintalovon has worked to strengthen the implementation of children's rights in Hungary by supporting children, families and professionals through research, training, advocacy and practical tools. As members of Eurochild and ECPAT Hungary since 2020, the Foundation is committed to promoting children's rights both nationally and through European and international cooperation.

2026 Children's Rights Award recipients

• Courage for Children's Rights Award: Csilla Nagygyőr, Police Lieutenant Colonel, for her pioneering work in promoting child-centred approaches to working with child victims of crime and for strengthening professional capacity within law enforcement.
• Innovation for Children's Rights Award: Dr Judit Hegedűs, educator, researcher and university lecturer, in recognition of her decades-long contribution to research, education and professional training on child abuse, child protection and children's rights.
• Arts for Children's Rights Award: Ádám Schwarcz (Beton.Hofi), performing artist, whose music explores childhood, vulnerability and resilience, helping to raise public awareness of children's experiences through contemporary culture.

The awards themselves reflect a child rights perspective. The two professional awards, created by sculptor Mihály Kolodko, feature a bronze rocking horse with a carefully repaired broken leg, symbolising both children's vulnerability and their capacity to recover when they receive appropriate care and support. The Arts Award, created by artist Lili Benkő, uses the image of a guardian angel to represent protection, safety and adults' shared responsibility towards children.

The awards ceremony took place in the unique setting of Budapest's Katona József Theatre, underlining the Foundation's commitment to engaging broader audiences in conversations about children's rights. As part of the evening, guests attended a special theatre performance highlighting the role of the arts in fostering empathy, reflection and dialogue on important social issues.

By establishing these anniversary awards, Hintalovon aims not only to recognise outstanding achievements, but also to highlight that protecting and promoting children's rights is a shared responsibility across professions and society.

More information: A detailed event summary and photo gallery are available on the Hintalovon website (in Hungarian).

Photo credit: Lili Chripkó