CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES
INITIATIVE: HOW WE WORK

Only when the rights, voices, needs and priorities of children and young people are integrated into public policies, programs and decisions will communities become truly child-friendly

The UNICEF USA Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) provides a child rights framework for building child friendly cities and communities. CFCI supports and enhances the work of local communities to create a holistic action plan for children and young people ages 18 and under and ensures they have a voice in the issues affecting their lives.

The first cohort in the United States to implement the CFCI process, in partnership with UNICEF USA, includes: Alton, Illinois, Boulder, Colorado; Decatur, Georgia; Houston, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Prince George's County, Maryland.

Building off the learnings from UUSA’s first cohort, to ensure that we can provide the highest level of support and deliver impactful results, UNICEF USA is considering 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.  

UNICEF USA CFCI Framework for Action

The framework consists of two pillars: 

1. Goals and results to be achieved

2. Strategies for achieving these goals and results

Inspired by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UNICEF USA CFCI Framework for Action provides the following goals and strategies to protect the safety, health and happiness of every child and young person ages 0 to 18:

UNICEF USA CFCI goals 

Local governments strive to achieve and measure their success as a child-friendly community in five priority areas: 

1. Safety and inclusion: Every child and young person is valued, respected and treated fairly within their communities and by local authorities

2. Children’s participation: Every child and young person has their voice, needs and priorities heard and taken into account in public laws, policies, budgets, programs and decisions that affect them

3. Equitable social services: Every child and young person has access to quality essential social services

4. Safe living environments: Every child and young person lives in a safe, secure and clean environment​

5. Play and leisure: Every child and young person has opportunities to enjoy family life, play and leisure

UNICEF USA CFCI strategies 

Through CFCI and other municipal partnership approaches, UNICEF USA encourages cities and communities to achieve their goals and realize results for children through strategies that prioritize and integrate the best interests of children and amplifies their perspectives into decision making.  

Based on UNICEF’s global experience and research, UNICEF USA advocates for five strategies to integrate youth engagement into governance including: 

1. Inclusive and child participatory mechanisms and processes (i.e., youth councils)  

2. Child-friendly legal frameworks and policy making (i.e., child impact statements conducted during policy deliberation to estimate impact of a policy on a population)  

3. Budget allocation for children (i.e., children’s budgets)  

4. Cross-sectoral coordination and partnership for children (i.e., children’s cabinets)  

5. Independent advocacy for children (i.e., child ombudsmen or commissions)  

Community building strategies are also essential components of any child-friendly city effort, including: 

• Increasing child rights awareness and capacity development 

• Encouraging child and youth projects, campaigns and civic actions 

Join our Community Alliance for Child Rights: Bridging Research and Policy LinkedIn Group. This space is designed to foster collaboration, share impactful research and connect our community of municipal partners and researchers. 

For more information, resources and case studies about the global UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative, visit childfriendlycities.org.

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.