CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES
INITIATIVE IN THE NEWS
National
How UNICEF Is Making Cities 'Child-Friendly' — The Common Good Data Podcast
March 2025
Child Rights and Sports Alliance Launches Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 — Press Release
November 2024
UNICEF's Child Friendly City Initiative Celebrates Two Years in the U.S. — Jennifer Sperber and Amber Stone | Forbes
August 2022
UNICEF's Child Friendly City Initiative Celebrates First Year in the U.S. — Sarah Ferguson and Amber Stone | Forbes
August 2021
Q&A: UNICEF’s U.S. Programs Director Explains How the Organization’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative Will Elevate the Needs and the Voices of All Children and Adolescents — Julienne Gage | Progress Report UnidosUS
January 2021
Young Changemakers Are Shaping A Better World — Jennifer Sperber | Forbes BrandVoice
November 2020
Michael Nyenhuis, UNICEF USA CEO, Interview with Philanthropy News Digest — Philanthropy News Digest
November 2020
UNICEF USA Announces Child Friendly Cities Initiative in the United States — Michael Nyenhuis | UNICEF USA CEO Press Release
August 2020
Amid Crises, UNICEF USA Launches Program to Help Kids in U.S. — David Crary | AP News
August 2020
Webcast on UNICEF USA’s First Program to Assist Children in American Cities — Voice of America
August 2020
Is Your City Child Friendly? UNICEF USA to Launch New Initiative Across the Country — NBC
August 2020
UNICEF's Child Friendly Cities Initiative Comes to the USA — Anucha Browne | UNICEF USA
August 2020
UNICEF USA Launches First Child Friendly Cities Scheme — Simon Weedy | Child in the City
August 2020
What Happens When Kids Help Design Our Cities? — Jill Suttie | Child in the City
January 2020
Local
El Paso Joins UNICEF's Child-Friendly Cities Initiative — UNICEF USA Press Release
Nov. 12, 2025
El Paso Launches Initiative to Become Child-Friendly City — Melissa Luna | Yahoo! News
Nov. 13, 2025
Salem Aims to Become a UNICF Child Friendly City in 2028 — Adam Sennott | The Boston Globe
Sept. 25, 2025
Salem, MA joins UNICEF's Child Friendly Cities Initiative — UNICEF USA Press Release
September 2025
Boulder youth tell city council they need more upstanders, safe spaces and civic platforms — Emma VandenEinde | KUNC NPR News Colorado Stories
May 17, 2025
Boulder aims for UNICEF Child Friendly City Status with new State of the Child Report — Colin Riley | Denver 7 ABC News
May 29, 2025
Denver Joins UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative
April 2025
Decatur Achieves Child Friendly City Recognition Through UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative
March 2025
Let’s Talk Boulder Podcast Episode 8: A Child Friendly Boulder
April 2024
Minneapolis Officially Recognized as a UNICEF Child Friendly City — UNICEF USA
February 2024
Minneapolis Officially Recognized as a UNICEF Child Friendly City — Sarah Ferguson | UNICEF USA
February 2024
Minneapolis becomes 2nd U.S. City to Earn Coveted Child Friendly City Designation — David Drew | B105
February 2024
Minneapolis Named ‘Child Friendly City’ by UNICEF — Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
February 2024
Minneapolis Gets a Nod at Being Child-Friendly — Editorial Board | StarTribune
February 2024
Houston Hosts UNICEF Exhibit as the First ‘Child Friendly City’ In the U.S. — Uvie Bikomo | Houstonian Magazine
February 2024
Decatur Achieves CFCI Candidate City Status through UNICEF USA’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative — UNICEF USA
November 2023
Decatur becomes Candidate City through UNICEF USA’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative — Decaturish
November 2023
UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Begun in Alton — The Telegraph
October 2023
Alton to Become One of Eight Child Friendly Cities in the U.S. — Riverbender.com
October 2023
City of Alton Partnering with UNICEF USA to Become a UNICEF Child Friendly City — UNICEF USA Press Release
October 2023
World Mental Health Day: Young Houstonians help peers address mental health — KPRC Click2Houston
October 2023
Why We Teamed Up to Make Houston a UNICEF Child Friendly City — UNICEF USA
September 2023
Empowering Youth, Building a Sustainable Future: Decatur's Commitment — Gael Doyle| City of Decatur
August 2023
UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative Catalyzes Youth Involvement — UNICEF USA
November 2022
City of Houston Recognized as the First UNICEF Child Friendly City in the United States of America — UNICEF USA Press Release
August 2023
City of Decatur Named an All-America City Award Recipient — Zoe Seiler | Decaturish
June 2023
City of Boulder Launches the UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative to Enhance Lives of Young People — City of Boulder Press Release
April 2023
Young Leaders Cheer As Minneapolis Puts Child Rights Front And Center— Jennifer Sperber | Forbes
April 2023
Minneapolis is the second city in the U.S. to become a candidate for UNICEF's Child Friendly Cities — Heidi Wigdahl | Initiative Kare
February 2023
City of Houston Becomes the First City in the United States to Become a Candidate for the Child Friendly Cities Initiative — City of Houston Press Release
August 2022
UNICEF Names Houston the First Child Friendly City Candidate in the Country – Alfred Dozier | Houston Chronicle
August 2022
Decatur High School's role in City of Decatur's partnership with UNICEF – Salmoncain Smith-Shomade | 3n CONVERGENCE
June 2022
UNICEF Working with City of Houston to Improve Child Mental Health – Maryan Wanjau, Laura Cuellar and Amber Stone | Forbes
June 2022
Johnson City to present findings from situation analysis on child welfare — David Floyd | Johnson City Press
December 2021
KABOOM! and partners win UNICEF Cities Inspire Award for San Francisco playspace — Kaboom! Press Release
November 2021
Johnson City to host community sessions for improving the lives of children — WJHL-TV
November 2021
Episode 53: Implementation of the UNICEF Child-Friendly Cities Initiative, Houston — Making After-School Cool Podcast
April 2021
Johnson City begins process to be recognized as UNICEF Child Friendly City — WJHL-TV
November 2020
Johnson City Strives to become a ‘Child Friendly City’ — Robert Houk | Johnson City Press
November 2020
Houston Joins UNICEF USA for Benefit of Children — Tracy Maness | CHRON
August 2020
City of Houston Joins UNICEF USA Child Friendly Cities Initiative — City of Houston Press Release
August 2020
Prince George’s Co. Joins UNICEF Initiative Aiming to Help World’s Children — Rick Massimo | WTOP News
August 2020
Prince George's Partners with UNICEF for Program to Make Area More Child-Friendly City — Justin Hinton | ABC7
August 2020
Johnson City to Seek 'Child-Friendly City' Designation — David Floyd | Johnson City Press
August 2020
UNICEF USA Launches Program to Help Kids in U.S., Minneapolis Among First Cities to Commit — Associated Press | 5 ABC Eyewitness News
August 2020
Minneapolis Begins Journey to Becoming Child Friendly City — Amy Meuers | National Youth Leadership Council
February 2020
Building Child Friendly Cities — Avery Lill | Colorado Matters, CPR News
January 2020
Mayor Breed and President Yee Announce "Child and Youth Friendly Day" Initiative on World Children's Day — City of San Francisco Press Release
November 2019
Sunday’s Editorial: Jacksonville has an Impressive Number of Programs for Kids — The Florida Times Union | Times-Union Editorial Board
May 2019
Sunday’s Editorial: Jax Should be a Child Friendly City — The Florida Times Union | Times-Union Editorial Board
May 2019
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To ensure that we can provide the highest level of support and deliver impactful results, UNICEF USA considers new CFCI municipal partnerships selectively based on factors including community readiness, organizational capacity and alignment with UNICEF USA’s strategic goals. Should you be interested in having an exploratory conversation about the potential of a CFCI partnership with UNICEF USA in your community, please email cfci@unicefusa.org.