Boulder's Child Friendly City Initiative
Boulder's UNICEF Child Friendly City Initiative
When we make our communities better places for children and youth, we make them better places for all.
The City of Boulder is partnering with UNICEF USA and Growing Up Boulder to work towards formal recognition as a UNICEF Child Friendly City. The goal of the UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) is to identify and prioritize action steps and mobilize the community to improve young people’s health and well-being. This work is co-designed with young people, centering the voices of historically underrepresented children and youth. For more complete details, visit the City of Boulder's webpage.
This video, produced by teens from the City's Youth Opportunities Advisory Board (YOAB), describes Boulder's Child Friendly City Initiative from young people's point of view.
Project Overview
UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) is a framework that engages local governments together with communities to prioritize the needs of children and elevate their voices in local governance and decision-making. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched CFCI in 1996 to protect children’s rights in an increasingly urbanized and decentralized world. This framework helps to identify areas of success and growth and creates a common vision among programs and services that support youth. That foundation leads to action plans that help children and youth thrive in ways that were previously unimagined.
Fourteen years after representatives from the University of Colorado, the City of Boulder, and Boulder Valley School District founded Growing Up Boulder as Boulder's "community-based, child- and youth-friendly city initiative," we were thrilled to announce the official partnership between Growing Up Boulder, the City of Boulder, and UNICEF USA towards making Boulder a "UNICEF Child Friendly City Initiative." This incredible milestone was announced and celebrated at Boulder's bilingual Día del Niño event, hosted by BMoCA, on 4/29/23 at the Boulder Civic Area Band Shell (see photos above). Read this one page description, in English or Spanish for more details.
For a fall 2023 update, read this City of Boulder Community Newsletter (page 32).
For a fall 2023 update, read this City of Boulder Community Newsletter (page 32).
CFCI's Global Impact
Since its inception in 1996, CFCI has been adopted in over 3,000 municipalities in over 40 countries, impacting an estimated 30 million children and youth worldwide.
CFCI in the United States
Our first cohort of cities is making a difference in the lives of nearly 1 million children.
Minneapolis, MN Johnson City, TN Houston, TX Decatur, GA Prince George's County, MD
What is UNICEF USA?
Over eight decades, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has built an unprecedented global support system for the world’s children. UNICEF relentlessly works day in and day out to deliver the essentials that give every child an equitable chance in life: health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.
UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by rallying the American public to support the world’s most vulnerable children. UNICEF USA works in the U.S. to empower policies, practices and programs at the federal, state and local levels to improve the lives of children, starting with our country’s most vulnerable and excluded communities; to promote youth leadership through more than 500 campus clubs; and to mobilize over 90,000 volunteers to champion child rights.
UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by rallying the American public to support the world’s most vulnerable children. UNICEF USA works in the U.S. to empower policies, practices and programs at the federal, state and local levels to improve the lives of children, starting with our country’s most vulnerable and excluded communities; to promote youth leadership through more than 500 campus clubs; and to mobilize over 90,000 volunteers to champion child rights.
Is Boulder Child Friendly now?
In many ways YES, because…
- --We have great child-friendly amenities, like parks, sports fields, access to nature, bike paths, transit.
- --YOAB members noted access to high-quality education, including sex ed, AP classes, and opportunities through CU and FRCC.
- --We've included youth voices in many policies, places and department master plans.
...but there is room for Improvement
In early conversations, young people have share their concerns around:
- Mental health
- Economic and racial disparities/discrimination
- Safety
CFCIs Focus on 5 Goal Areas
A child friendly city incorporates non-discrimination and youth participation into all steps of the CFCI process and operates around five goal areas. Local governments strive to achieve and measure their success as a child-friendly community these five priority areas:
Why is Our Community Embarking on this Effort?
The US ranks 37 out of 41 developed nations in terms of child well-being despite its tremendous resources; 33 out of 41 industrialized nations in terms of child poverty; and highest in terms of child mortality. Community Foundation Boulder County’s 2019-2021 trend report shows young people from underrepresented populations in Boulder are more likely to experience worse physical and mental health, child abuse, and bullying than their dominant population peers.
Growing Up Boulder, with the mission to center young people's rights, voices and agency to advance equitable and sustainable communities for all, has advanced the principles of CFCI for 13 years. Becoming an official UNICEF CFCI will allow Boulder to be formally recognized for the work we are currently involved in and take our impact to the next level.
The structural support that CFCI provides, brings together city departments, schools and nonprofits to align efforts and reach populations who experience structural and systemic inequities. In addition, the City of Boulder received approximately $2 million from the sale of the Broncos NFL team to be used for youth activities. The city is interested in using this funding as “seed” money to support action items identified through the CFCI effort. Additional funding could be pursued in 2024, as part of the city’s consideration of the City Manager’s 2025 Recommended Budget.
Growing Up Boulder, with the mission to center young people's rights, voices and agency to advance equitable and sustainable communities for all, has advanced the principles of CFCI for 13 years. Becoming an official UNICEF CFCI will allow Boulder to be formally recognized for the work we are currently involved in and take our impact to the next level.
The structural support that CFCI provides, brings together city departments, schools and nonprofits to align efforts and reach populations who experience structural and systemic inequities. In addition, the City of Boulder received approximately $2 million from the sale of the Broncos NFL team to be used for youth activities. The city is interested in using this funding as “seed” money to support action items identified through the CFCI effort. Additional funding could be pursued in 2024, as part of the city’s consideration of the City Manager’s 2025 Recommended Budget.
What is the CFCI Process?
Updates in Boulder's CFCI Process
CFCI Community Partner Roundtable
On September 19, 2023, 34 participants from various community partners gathered to learn about the Child Friendly City Initiative. They actively supported this initiative, lead by Growing Up Boulder and the City of Boulder, by identifying key indicators that would be important to their community. The CFCI framework, developed in collaboration with UNICEF, aligns with ongoing efforts by various governmental and nonprofit partners. It represents an innovative, collective action strategy for Boulder in creating a community where all young people and their families can flourish. It emphasizes the fundamental principle that every young person should have a voice in shaping their future, regardless of age, gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, immigration or housing status, or family income level. Thank you to all of you for participating in this work with us!
GUB Community Conversation Trainings
Growing Up Boulder and partner, Maya Sol Dansie (featured left, from Mayamotion Healing), offered two trainings on Child Friendly City Initiative "Community Conversations" to educators and community partners. More than 50 youth and adults attended the November trainings, which taught partners about CFCIs, the purpose of Community Conversations, and how to facilitate their own Community Conversations.
Teen Town Hall and Community Conversations
The Growing Up Boulder team has been busy organizing, training, and facilitating "Community Conversations" as part of Boulder's Child Friendly City process. The photo to the left is from a Community Conversation facilitated by teens for teens: it's a Teen Town Hall organized by the City's Youth Opportunities Advisory Board (YOAB)!
Community Conversations will help us learn what children, youth, parents/elders, and service providers (i.e. teachers, therapist) identify as their top priorities to improve young people's well-being in Boulder. If you live in Boulder and are a child, teen, parent/elder or service provider, please share your thoughts through this 5 minute survey (the survey closes 12/31/23).
Community Conversations will help us learn what children, youth, parents/elders, and service providers (i.e. teachers, therapist) identify as their top priorities to improve young people's well-being in Boulder. If you live in Boulder and are a child, teen, parent/elder or service provider, please share your thoughts through this 5 minute survey (the survey closes 12/31/23).
Read about the history of Growing Up Boulder and CFCI
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Did you know that the history of UNICEF's Child Friendly Cities Initiative and Growing Up Boulder are deeply intertwined? Read this reflection by Professor Louise Chawla, co-founder of Growing Up Boulder, to better understand the legacy of participatory planning and international work upon which Growing Up Boulder and CFCI are built.
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