Austria
Kinderfreundliche Gemeinden
The Kinderfreundliche Gemeinden (Child Friendly Communities) initiative in Austria has been active since 2013. The objective of the initiative and the Child Friendly Community recognition is to underline the importance of making child-friendly decisions at the local level, where children are most affected.
The Austrian Child Friendly Communities initiative is centred around seven thematic areas: 1) child-friendly politics and administration; 2) child participation; 3) health; 4) leisure; 5) family and school care; 6) safety (for example, child and youth protection, traffic, playgrounds); and 7) education.
A municipality that wishes to be recognized as child-friendly conducts a situation analysis through local consultation to assess the existing child rights measures in place. New needs-based measures are then developed by a project group together with representatives from all stakeholders and generations, including children and adolescents. In order to be recognized as child-friendly, the municipality must plan to act on at least three measures which fall under the seven thematic priorities, within a timeframe of three years.
The recognition audit process is carried out in collaboration with the non-profit state-owned organization ”Familie und Beruf Management GmbH”, which provides guidance and best practices, supports the municipalities during the consultation phase, offers support for public relations activities and assesses the implementation of the measures.
The recognition is granted by UNICEF Austria for a period of three years. The recognition can be renewed for another three years, if the local government commits to improving the implementation of children’s rights in the future.
Today, around 250 municipalities in Austria are participating in the initiative.
Gabersdorf – the first recognized child-friendly municipality in Austria
The municipality of Gabersdorf in Styria was the first to be recognized as a ”child-friendly community” by UNICEF Austria. Harmonious relationships between the generations are a top priority in Gabersdorf.
Mayor Franz Hierzer expressed his satisfaction with the community’s development of needs-based measures: ”The audit process is an innovative instrument to increase quality of life together with the citizens and thus strenghten their bonds to the community.”
Some examples of the implemented measures include:
- Child-friendly politics & administration: Contact person for youth in the municipal administration or local council, who represents and advocates for youth with decision makers in the community and the local council.
- Health: Tailor-made sport and fitness opportunities for girls including Zumba, HipHop and a fitness trail.
- Leisure: Improvement of the holiday leisure programme through a ”holiday pass” which promotes and expands offers on leisure activities as well as the establishment of a new space for youth accompanied by a youth worker.
- Family and school care: Planning and construction of a day nursery.
- Education: Expansion of education and leisure opportunities through lectures and courses: more attractive possibilities for further education, for parents for example, in the community.
- Safety: Increased speed controls to reduce the risk of traffic accidents.
COUNTRY FACTS
Population: 9,104,772
Pop. under 18: 1,669,595
Source: Statistik Austria (December 2023)
CONTACT
Julia Woegerbauer, Advocacy & Child Rights Officer - kfg@unicef.at
UNICEF Austria
Mariahilfer Straße 176/10, A-1150 Vienna
Austria
LINKS
List of child friendly cities in Austria
243 recognized child friendly cities
- Absdorf
- Adlwang
- AllandAlpbach
- Altendorf
- Altenmarkt an der Triesting
- Altenmarkt bei Sankt Gallen
- Althofen
- Amstetten
- Arriach
- Aschau im Zillertal
- Auerbach
- Bach
- Bad Fischau-Brunn
- Bad Hofgastein
- Bad Ischl
- Bad Vigaun
- Bad Vöslau
- Bad Zell
- Bergheim
- Blumau-Neurißhof
- Böheimkirchen
- Brückl
- Brunn an der Wild
- Burgschleinitz-Kühnring
- Dietmanns
- Ebbs
- Ebenau
- Ebergassing
- Eggersdorf bei Graz
- Eichgraben
- Elixhausen
- Erlauf
- Esternberg
- Euratsfeld
- Faggen
- Feldkirchen bei Graz
- Feldkirchen in Kärnten
- Felixdorf
- Fels am Wagram
- Fendels
- Ferlach
- Fernitz-Mellach
- Flattach
- Frantschach St. Gertraud
- Frauenstein
- Furth a. d. Triesting
- Fusch an der Großglocknerstraße
- Gabersdorf
- Gablitz
- Gaimberg
- Gallspach
- Gampern
- Gänserndorf
- Garsten
- Gaweinstal
- Gießhübl
- Gitschtal
- Gloggnitz
- Gmünd in Kärnten
- Golling an der Erlauf
- Göming
- Götzis
- Grafenbach – St. Valentin
- Grafendorf bei Hartberg
- Gratkorn
- Graz
- Grieskirchen
- Grimmenstein
- Grödig
- Großgmain
- Großschönau
- Gumpoldskirchen
- Günselsdorf
- Guntramsdorf
- Haiming
- Hallwang
- Hatting
- Hausmannstätten
- Hermagor-Pressegger See
- Hochneukirchen-Gschaidt
- Hofstetten-Grünau
- Hoheneich
- Hornstein
- Hürm
- Innsbruck-Land
- Inzing
- Itter
- Kaltenleutgeben
- Kapfenstein
- Katzelsdorf
- Kaumberg
- Kaunertal
- Kefermarkt
- Kirchbach
- Kirchberg an der Pielach
- Kirchberg ob der Donau
- Kirchham
- Kitzbühel
- Kitzeck im Sausal
- Klagenfurt
- Klein St. Paul
- Kleinzell imMühlkreis
- Klosterneuburg
- Köflach
- Koppl
- Kössen
- Kötschach-Mauthen
- Krieglach
- Krummnußbaum
- Krumpendorf am Wörthersee
- Kufstein
- Kufstein und Umgebung, Untere Schranne, Kaiserwinkl
- Kundl
- Laa an der Thaya
- Längenfeld
- Langkampfen
- Lanzenkirchen
- Lassee
- Lebring-St. Margarethen
- Leiben
- Lendorf
- Leoben
- Liebenfels
- Lieboch
- Lockenhaus
- Ludmannsdorf/Bilčovs
- Maissau
- Mank
- Maria-Anzbach
- Markt Piesting
- Matrei am Brenner
- Micheldorf in Kärnten
- Mieders
- Mieming
- Moosbrunn
- Moosburg
- Mühlbachl
- Mürzzuschlag
- Natschbach-Loipersbach
- Neuhofen an der Ybbs
- Neukirchen am Großvenediger
- Neulengbach
- Neunkirchen
- Niederndorf
- Nötsch im Gailtal
- Nußdorf am Haunsberg
- Ober-Grafendorf
- Oberperfuss
- Oberschlierbach
- Oed-Oehling
- Oetz
- Ostarrichi-Mostland
- Pasching
- Perchtoldsdorf
- Persenbeug-Gottsdorf
- Pettenbach
- Pfarrwerfen
- Pfons
- Pinsdorf
- Pitten
- Pöchlarn
- Poggersdorf
- Pörtschach am Wörthersee
- Pottenstein
- Poysdorf
- Prägraten am Großvenediger
- Premstätten
- Prutz
- Puch bei Hallein
- Raaba-Grambach
- Rabenstein an der Pielach
- Radfeld
- Rainbach im Mühlkreis
- Rangersdorf
- Rauchenwarth
- Reith im Alpbachtal
- Rettenschöss
- Retz
- Reutte
- Riedau
- Rietz
- Röschitz
- Rosegg
- Rottenmann
- Sankt Anna am Aigen
- Sankt Barbara im Mürztal
- Sankt Georgen am Längsee
- Sankt Georgen bei Salzburg
- Sankt Peter am Ottersbach
- Sankt Stefan ob Stainz
- Sankt Veit im Pongau
- Schiefling am Wörthersee
- Schönwies
- Schwechat
- Schweiggers
- Seebenstein
- Seiersberg-Pirka
- Seitenstetten
- Sigmundsherberg
- Söll
- Sollenau
- Spittal an der Drau
- St. Andrä
- St. Georgen bei Obernberg am Inn
- St. Johann in Tirol
- St. Martin im Mühlkreis
- St. Paul im Lavanttal
- St. Peter am Wimberg
- St. Peter in der Au
- St. Stefan im Gailtal
- St. Stefan im Rosental
- Stattegg
- Steinfeld
- Straning-Grafenberg
- Ternitz
- Tillmitsch
- Tösens
- Türnitz
- Villach
- Vils
- Virgen
- Vitis
- Völkermarkt
- Waizenkirchen
- Walchsee
- Wallsee-Sindelburg
- Weissenbach
- Weißensee
- Wien HietzingWiener Neustadt
- Wildendürnbach
- Wildschönau
- Wilhering
- Winklarn
- Wölbling
- Wolfsberg
- Ybbs an der Donau
- Zeillern
- Zeiselmauer-Wolfpassing
- Zell am Ziller
- Zemendorf-Stöttera
- Zirl
