8th international EFJCA Conference | 30 November & 1 December 2026 | Portlaoise (Ireland)

Bio Dries Wyckmans

Dries Wyckmans is an advisor on Safe Homes (Veilige Huizen), the Flemish Family Justice Centers, at the Flemish Agency for Justice and Enforcement. He supports their further development across Flanders, with a focus on policy, communication and training.

From 2022 to 2024, he served as acting head of the Gender-Based Violence Division and helped establish five new Safe Homes. Earlier, he was closely involved in the development of Safe Home Limburg, where he also worked as strategic coordinator.

Dries has worked on domestic and family violence policy since 2004, with a strong focus on integrated approaches and cross-sector collaboration. He is a three-time recipient of the Belgian Award for Safety and Crime Prevention and serves on the board of the European Family Justice Center Alliance.

He has a background in journalism.

Presentation ‘Multi-agency practice and insights from across Europe'

Drawing on visits to Family Justice Centres and related multi-agency initiatives across Europe, Dries explores the diversity of models, contexts and practices across the continent. Rather than looking for one ideal model, his contribution focuses on what these different approaches have in common, what can be learned from them, and which principles help turn multi-agency cooperation into a truly integrated response.