The Ciudades Amigas de la Infancia (Child Friendly Cities) initiative in Spain was launched in 2002 and has the support of the Ministry of Youth and Children, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and the University Institute of Needs and Rights of Children and Adolescents (IUNDIA). The initiative drives participating local…, external impact assessment, of the twenty-two-year initiative in Spain was carried out. The impact evaluation aimed to measure the changes brought about by the initiative in both local governance and the lives of children and adolescents. Using the matching technique and regression models, it were able to attribute observed changes to the initiative. The findings were…, Cross-Cutting Goals, Governance and Rights-Based Approach, : Child-friendly cities are more likely to implement actions that improve governance and integrate children’s rights into public management. Notable increases were observed in diagnostic assessments, child rights awareness campaigns, and child participation initiatives., Capacity Building and Policy Integration, : Training for local politicians and technical staff has increased annually. Budget allocations for child-related policies have grown, with each additional year in the initiative linked to a 1.4% increase. There has been greater integration of children’s rights into youth and gender policies, though structural legal protections remain limited., Rights-Based Objectives, Being Valued and Treated Fairly, : 75% of children in child-friendly cities feel they are treated fairly. There has been a 2.4% annual increase in adapted sports programmes for children with disabilities. 70% of children believe their local governments are making efforts to support vulnerable groups., Being Heard, : All child-friendly cities have child participation bodies, compared to only 27% of non-participating cities. Participation leads to more diverse discussions and greater focus on social rights. Each year in the initiative is associated with a 10% increase in implemented proposals and a 6% increase in self-managed proposals. However, only 1 in 4…, Access to Essential Services, : 87% of child-friendly cities report universal access to quality services. There has been a notable increase in early childhood education enrolment and mental health programmes., Safe and Clean Environments, : 71% of local entities believe children live in safe and clean environments. Safety and pedestrian safety measures in schools have improved annually., Play and Leisure, : 77% of local entities agree that children have adequate spaces for play and leisure. 82% of children report access to cultural and social life, contributing to their well-being. The initiative in Spain supports municipalities participating in the initiative through a dedicated website as well as training opportunities, networking events, child…, 311 local governments had been granted this recognition, . Altogether, the initiative reached, 48.34% of all children living in Spain, . Local governments had, 409 local children's councils, , involving about, 13,000 children, . In addition,, 45 local entities have begun the process and are considered candidates for recognition, . Thus, there are, 356 local governments that are part of the Child-Friendly Cities network in Spain, . CFCI Spain - Bilbao national meeting 2025 UNICEF España/Francisco Viña, COUNTRY FACTS, Population:, 48,619,695 (INE, 2024), Pop. under 18:, 8,025,186 (INE, 2024), Pop. under 18 that live in a CFC:, 3,882,928, CONTACTS, Silvia CASANOVAS. Child participation and local policies manager. [email protected] Paola BERNAL, Child Friendly Cities Specialist. [email protected], LINKS, Ciudades Amigas de la Infancia UNICEF Spain, RESOURCES, (in Spanish), NEW, - Impact Evaluation of CFCI in Spain - 2024 2024 CFCI Impact assessment TOOL BOX Child Participation Indicators for better local policies Monitoring a Local Action Plan Local Governance Toolkit: Identifying and quantifying investment for children Booklets for local action: Keys to promote child and adolescent participation Participatory…, List of child friendly cities in Spain, 311 recognized cities, 311 recognized cities, A Laracha Albacete Albuixech Alcalá de Henares Alcalá La Real Alcantarilla Alcázar de San Juan Alcobendas Alcoi Alcorcón Aldeamayor de San Martín Alfaro Algeciras Alhaurín El Grande Alhendín Aljaraque Almendralejo Almería Almussafes Alovera Alzira Andoain Andújar Arahal Argamasilla de Calatrava Armilla Arnedo Arroyo de la Luz Ávila Avilés Ayamonte…
