WHAT IS A CHILD AND YOUTH FRIENDLY COMMUNITY?

 

A child and youth friendly city or community (CYFC) is defined as “a system of local governance, committed to fulfilling children’s rights.”[i]  A CYFC seeks to fulfill children’s rights in the spaces that affect them the most, namely their neighbourhoods or communities. As much of the research on child well-being and development suggests, the experiences of children in their earliest years have a profound effect on their future success and the trajectory of their adult lives.

 

In CYFCs, children and youth have the right to:

 

• Influence decisions about their city

• Express opinions on the city they want

• Participate in family, community, and social life

• Receive basic services such as health care and education

• Drink safe water and have access to proper sanitation

• Be protected from exploitation, violence and abuse

• Walk safely in the streets on their own

• Meet friends and play

• Have green spaces for plants and animals

• Live in an unpolluted environment

• Participate in cultural and social events

• Be an equal citizen of their city with access to every service, regardless of ethnic origin, religion, income, gender or disability[ii]

 

CYFCs are not a one-size-fits-all model, but rather a framework and set of values that helps each community decide what is important given their unique circumstances and context.

 

 

 

[i] UNICEF. What is a Child Friendly City? Available at http://childfriendlycities.org/overview/what-is-a-child-friendly-city/

[ii] Ibid.