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 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 to address needs. 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 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:
- 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.
- Leisure/family and school care: New space for youth and funding for a youth worker, who runs regular activites for youth.
- Leisure/education: Expansion of education and leisure opportunities through lectures and courses: more attractive possibilities for further education, for parents for example, in the community.
- Child-friendly 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.
- Safety: Increased speed controls to reduce the risk of traffic accidents.
COUNTRY FACTS
Population: 8,978,929
Pop. under 18: 1,639,187
Source: Statistik Austria
CONTACT
Klara Krgovic, Advocacy & Child Rights Officer - krgovic@unicef.at
UNICEF Austria
Mariahilfer Straße 176/10, A-1150 Vienna
Austria
List of child friendly cities in Austria
246 recognized child friendly cities
- Adlwang
- Alland
- Alpbach
- Altenmarkt an der Triesting
- Altenmarkt bei Sankt Gallen
- Amstetten
- Arriach
- Aschau im Zillertal
- Auerbach
- Ausservillgraten
- Bach
- Bad Bleiberg
- Bad Hofgastein
- Bad Ischl
- Bad Radkersburg
- Bad Vigaun
- Bad Vöslau
- Bad Zell
- Berg im Drautal
- Bergheim
- Blumau-Neurißhof
- Böheimkirchen
- Brückl
- Brunn an der Wild
- Burgschleinitz-Kühnring
- Drautal
- Ebbs
- Eggersdorf bei Graz
- Eichgraben
- Elixhausen
- Elsbethen
- Engelhartstetten
- Erlauf
- Esternberg
- Euratsfeld
- 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
- Götzis
- Grafenbach – St. Valentin
- Grafendorf bei Hartberg
- Gratkorn
- Graz
- Grieskirchen
- Grimmenstein
- Grödig
- Großgmain
- Großschönau
- Grünbach am Schneeberg
- Gumpoldskirchen
- Guntramsdorf
- Gutau
- Haiming
- Hallwang
- Hatting
- Hausmannstätten
- Hermagor-Pressegger See
- Hochneukirchen-Gschaidt
- Höflein an der Hohen Wand
- Hofstetten-Grünau
- Hoheneich
- Hollabrunn
- Hürm
- Innsbruck-Land
- Inzing
- Itter
- Kaltenleutgeben
- Kapfenstein
- Kartitsch
- Katzelsdorf
- Kaumberg
- Kaunertal
- Kefermarkt
- Kirchbach
- Kirchberg an der Pielach
- Kirchberg ob der Donau
- Kirchham
- Kirchschlag in der Buckligen Welt
- Kitzbühel
- Klagenfurt
- Klein St. Paul
- Kleinzell i.Mühlkreis
- Klosterneuburg
- Köflach
- Koppl
- Kössen
- Krenglbach
- Krieglach
- Kronstorf
- Krummnußbaum
- Krumpendorf am Wörthersee
- Kufstein
- Kundl
- Laa an der Thaya
- Lamprechtshausen
- Längenfeld
- Langenzersdorf
- Langkampfen
- Lanzenkirchen
- Lebring-St. Margarethen
- Leiben
- Lendorf
- Leoben
- Liebenfels
- Lockenhaus
- Ludmannsdorf/Bilčovs
- Maissau
- Mank
- Markt Piesting
- Matrei am Brenner
- Matrei in Osttirol
- Micheldorf
- Micheldorf
- Mieders
- Mieming
- Mödling
- Moosbrunn
- Moosburg
- Mühlbachl
- Murau
- Mürzzuschlag
- Naarn im Machlande
- Natschbach-Loipersbach
- Neuhofen an der Ybbs
- Neunkirchen
- Niederndorf
- Nötsch im Gailtal
- Nußdorf am Haunsberg
- Ober-Grafendorf
- Oberperfuss
- Oberschlierbach
- Oetz
- Ostarrichi-Mostland
- Pasching
- Pettenbach
- Pfarrwerfen
- Pfons
- Pinsdorf
- Pitten
- Pöchlarn
- Poggersdorf
- Pottenstein
- Poysdorf
- Puch bei Hallein
- Raaba-Grambach
- Rabenstein an der Pielach
- Radfeld
- Rainbach im Mühlkreis
- Rangersdorf
- Reith im Alpbachtal
- Rettenschöss
- Retz
- Riedau
- Rietz
- Röschitz
- Rosegg
- Rottenmann
- Sankt Anna am Aigen
- Sankt Barbara im Mürztal
- Sankt Georgen am Längsee
- Sankt Georgen bei Salzburg
- Sankt Marein-Feistritz
- Sankt Peter am Ottersbach
- Sankt Stefan ob Stainz
- Sankt Veit im Pongau
- Saxen
- Schalchen
- Schiefling am Wörthersee
- Schweiggers
- Seebenstein
- Seiersberg-Pirka
- Seitenstetten
- Sierning
- Sigmundsherberg
- Sillian
- Sistrans
- Söll
- Sollenau
- Spittal an der Drau
- St. Andrä
- St. Georgen bei Obernberg am Inn
- St. Johann in Tirol
- St. Lorenzen im Mürztal
- 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
- Stadt Wiener Neustadt
- Stattegg
- Steinfeld
- Straning-Grafenberg
- Straß im Attergau
- Taufkirchen an der Pram
- Ternitz
- Thaur
- Tillmitsch
- Tollet
- Tösens
- Türnitz
- Villach
- Vils
- Vitis
- Völkermarkt
- Waidhofen an der Ybbs
- Waizenkirchen
- Walchsee
- Waldegg
- Wallsee-Sindelburg
- Weissenbach
- Weißensee
- Werfenweng
- Wien Hietzing
- Wildschönau
- Wilhering
- Winklarn
- Wölbling
- Wolfsberg
- Wöllersdorf- Steinabrückl
- Zeillern
- Zell am Ziller
- Zemendorf-Stöttera
- Zirl
