What is Child-Centered Governance

Child-Centered Governance (CCG) is a set of practices that cities, counties and states can use to put children first. It ensures that leaders consider the best interests of children and young people when they make decisions, create policies or decide how to spend public money.

A female student flexing her arm holds up a sign with her other hand, saying 'youth voices matter.'

Centering Children Strengthens Communities

Communities are stronger when decisions consistently reflect the needs and perspectives of children and young people. Help make that happen where you live.

Why should my community adopt child-centered governance?

Children are affected by decisions across local and state government. Recent national polling found that 82 percent of youth believe they can make a difference in America. They have one clear request: include them directly in the decisions that affect their lives. Child-centered governance gives communities practical tools to do exactly that.

How do we know CCG works?

These practices draw on research and real-world experience and were developed and tested through UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI). For over 30 years, CFCI has supported local governments in advancing child rights across more than 40 countries. Three U.S. cities have been recognized as UNICEF Child Friendly Cities.

How can my community get started?

Explore the five child-centered governance practices, and see how communities are putting children at the center of local decision-making. Then visit our Resources Page for tools and evidence-informed guidance to support your work. As your efforts grow, join our National Learning Community to connect with peers, share ideas and access new resources, events and opportunities.

5 Practices to Establish and Strengthen Local Child-Centered Governance

Every community starts from a different place. These five flexible child-centered governance practices (In ES: Gobernanza Centrada En La Infancia PDF) can be adapted to local priorities, governance structures and capacity. When integrated into everyday decision-making, they can create lasting change in how local government works and its effectiveness in responding to the needs of children and youth.

Youth Councils

Establish inclusive youth advisory bodies with a formal role in local government, enabling children and young people to meaningfully participate in decisions that affect their lives.

Youth Councils Brief PDF

ES: Consejos Juveniles PDF

Meet some Youth Council Members

A group of smiling UNICEF club members, wearing UNICEF USA t-shirts, stand on a city street and reach their arms out to signify welcoming others.

Child Impact Statements

Assess how proposed policies, budgets and other government decisions may affect children before decisions are made, helping leaders identify risks, strengthen benefits and prioritize the best interest of children. Child Impact Statement Toolkit PDF.
(ES: Declaraciones De Impacto Infantil PDF)

Children's Cabinets

Create a formal cross-agency leadership body that coordinates planning, programs and investments across government to improve outcomes for children and youth. Children's Cabinets PDF.
(ES: Gabinetes Para La Infancia PDF)

Children's Budgets

Track and analyze how public dollars are invested in children and youth to identify gaps, strengthen transparency and better align public investments with children's needs. Children's Budgets PDF.
(ES: Presupuestos Para La Infancia PDF)

Youth Ombuds Offices

Establish an independent office that investigates concerns raised by children and families, identifies systemic issues and advocates for policy and practice reforms. Youth Ombuds Offices PDF.
(ES: Oficinas De Defensores Del Pueblo Para Los Niños PDF)

Additional Resources

See Child-Centered Governance in Action

Explore examples of how local governments and communities are putting child-centered governance strategies into practice. These examples are shared for learning purposes and may not be affiliated with UNICEF USA programs.

Children’s Cabinets: Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board

Government agencies in Minneapolis recognized that fragmented services were limiting support for children and youth. They established the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board — one of the nation’s first local children’s cabinets — as a permanent cross-sector body to align priorities and coordinate action. Four decades later, the Board continues to provide cross-sector leadership, bringing together public agencies and community partners to align policies, programs and initiatives that improve outcomes for children and young people.

Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board

Child Impact Statements: Santa Clara County, California

Recognizing government decisions — beyond child services — Santa Clara County established a Child Impact Statement (CIS) requirement for policies before the board. The CIS requires County departments to assess how proposed actions affect children and align with the County's Bill of Rights for Children and Youth. The County also institutionalized an annual Children's Budget and connected it with CCS strategies to inform policy and resource allocation. Today, the County continues to refine this work by expanding data and linking investments to outcomes for children and families.

Santa Clara Case Study

Children's Budgets: Travis County, Texas

Travis County recognized that limited visibility into investments in children and families hindered strategic responses to community needs. Working with the Children’s Funding Project and local partners, the County developed fiscal mapping and cost modeling. In 2023, it became the first U.S. county to hire a Children's Funding Coordinator. These efforts strengthened County capacity to identify, coordinate and plan investments in children. This analysis informed a voter-approved funding measure to expand access to affordable childcare and other services for children and families.

TCCY Resource Mapping Project

Youth Ombuds Office: Child Protection Ombudsman of Colorado

Children and families interacting with Colorado’s child welfare system needed an independent way to raise concerns and hold agencies across behavioral health, education and law enforcement. Colorado established the Child Protection Ombudsman in 2010 and made it fully independent in 2016, empowering it to investigate complaints and address system-wide issues affecting children and families. This oversight has driven statewide reforms, including standardized adoption assistance, clarified mandatory reporting laws and new policies to prevent and respond to runaway youth.

Child Protection Ombudsman of Colorado

Youth Councils: Denver Mayor’s Youth Commission

Denver needed a consistent, formal way for youth voices to reach the Mayor and city leaders on issues affecting young people. In 2012, the city established the Mayor’s Youth Commission in the municipal code, creating a formal advisory role in which youth commissioners develop leadership skills and work alongside adult commissioners to shape policy and programming and to advise the Mayor, city leaders and the Office of Children’s Affairs

Mayor's Youth Commission

Colorado Case Study

Current Data

Explore which child-centered governance strategies communities across the US are using and how those practices are structured. Get ideas for how you can center children in your decision making.

Link to Database

Screenshot of a data visualization showing city point dots on a map of the United States.

In the News

Keep up with the latest media coverage and stories worth celebrating about child-centered governance's real-world impact.

Links to News Page

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Sign up for the National Learning Community

Learn more about child-centered governance, sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter and get updates on new resources and ways to get involved.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is child-centered governance?

Child-Centered Governance helps governments consistently consider child wellbeing, needs and perspectives when making decisions.

How can my community partner with UNICEF USA?

UNICEF USA works with local governments and partners to translate child-centered governance into practice. Support includes practical tools and guidance, peer learning, applied research and opportunities to connect with other communities advancing child-centered governance.

Why should I join the National Learning Community?

The National Learning Community is UNICEF USA’s peer learning network for local government leaders, practitioners and partners working to advance child-centered governance. Members exchange ideas, share experiences, access resources and learn from communities across the country.

How does child-centered governance strengthen existing priorities?

Child-centered governance complements existing priorities by strengthening government decision-making for and with children. Communities establish governance structures and practices that improve coordination, participation, accountability and public investment over time — helping leaders make more informed decisions across issues like housing, public safety, transportation, mental health, education, economic development and climate resilience. By strengthening how decisions are made, communities are better equipped to respond to evolving needs and emerging challenges.