News & Events
Discover what is happening in the CFCI network
LATEST NEWS
"The Magic of Local Government Is Proximity": Spain's 7th Child-Friendly Cities Congress
13 May 2026 - On the 30th anniversary of the global Child Friendly Cities Initiative, the national summit in Spain addressed challenges such as housing, poverty, mental health, and child participation, making it clear that municipalities have an essential role to play.
"Measuring Educational Poverty" Conference in Naples, Italy
16 April 2026 - UNICEF Italy participates in the National Institute of Statistics' conference to highlight the importance of data collection in tackling child poverty in the municipal policies
Launch of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative in San Fernando, Municipality of Trinidad and Tobago
16 March 2026 - In September 2025, UNICEF, in partnership with the City of San Fernando, multi-UN agencies, and local partners, proudly launched the Child Friendly Cities Initiative in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
Child Friendly Cities Initiative in France: A Successful 2020–2026 Municipal Cycle
12 March 2026 - Since 2002, UNICEF France has mobilized French cities to guarantee child rights across their territories. Between 2020 and 2026, the 300 participating cities strengthened the role of children in local policies and achieved strong results.
18 new cities join the CFCI in Spain: half of children & adolescents now live in a Child Friendly City
10 December 2025 - 311 local governments participate in the Child Friendly Cities Initiative network in Spain; 48.34% of children and adolescents in Spain live in a Child Friendly City. 409 children & youth councils are now in place, gathering more than 13,000 members.
UNICEF Italy participates in the National Assembly of the Italian Association of Municipalities
12 November 2025 - UNICEF Italy participated in the 42nd National Assembly of the National Association of Italian Municipalities to promote the Child Friendly Cities Initiative.
National meeting of cities participating in the CFCI in Toruń, Poland
4 November 2025 - Coordinators of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative in Poland met in Toruń for a national networking and learning event, gathering representatives from 17 cities.
Doubling of municipalities that join CFCI in the Netherlands
3 November 2025 - nine more municipalities start with the CFCI program in the Netherlands. They follow the seven municipalities that started in 2024 and 2023, hence more than doubling the number of active municipalities in the Netherlands.
UNICEF Italy renews its partnership with the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI)
23 July 2025 - UNICEF Italy and the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI) have renewed their partnership for the fifth time since 2008.
“RIGHTS IN THE CITY” 2025 campaign in Italy
2 June 2025 - On the week of May 27 2025, almost 300 Italian cities and municipalities participated in RIGHTS IN THE CITY, the annual awareness-campaign promoted by UNICEF Italy.
Treviso, Italy, is recertified as Child Friendly City
31 May 2025 - On May 31st, 2025 the City of Treviso (in the north of Italy) received the renewed recognition as a Child Friendly City.
Does Living in a Child Friendly City Improve Children’s Lives?
21 May 2025 - In Spain, a report shows that Child Friendly Cities are more likely to implement child-focused policies than other municipalities, and significant progress has been observed in access to essential services
Denver Joins UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative
April 7, 2025 - The City and County of Denver (USA) begins multi-year initiative in partnership with UNICEF USA to create safer, healthier, and more inclusive communities by elevating youth voices
Decatur Achieves Child Friendly City Recognition in the United States
21 March 2025 - City of Decatur, Georgia, third in the United States to receive recognition after implementing pilot initiative to create safer, healthier communities and elevate youth voices.
Celebrating 10 Years of “Child Friendly Communities” in Austria
31 December 2024 - In 2024, the Child Friendly Cities Initiative in Austria celebrated its 10th anniversary. More than 350 municipalities have been recognized as Child Friendly Cities, implementing child rights measures for over 322,000 children across the country.
World Children's Day 2024
20 November 2024 - Child Friendly Cities all over the world celebrated World Children's Day - discover what happened!
Finland’s capital Helsinki recognized as a Child Friendly City
24 September 2024 - The City of Helsinki was recognized as a Child Friendly City in September 2024. Helsinki becomes the first Nordic capital to receive the recognition.
The municipality of Prato, Italy, recognized as Child Friendly City
22 February 2024 - Prato is the fourth Italian city to received the recognition since 2019
Minneapolis, Minnesota Recognized as the Second UNICEF Child Friendly City in the United States
14 February 2024 - Four years to the day after Minneapolis joined forces with UNICEF USA to pilot the Child Friendly Cities Initiative in the United States, the city was officially recognized a UNICEF Child Friendly City.
A Decade of Making Cities Child-Friendly in South Korea
14 December 2023 - the CFCI in South Korea marked a significant milestone — its 10th anniversary. This momentous occasion celebrated a decade of remarkable achievements in creating a better society for children.
World Children's Day 2023
20 November 2023 - This year again, hundreds of Child Friendly Cities worldwide organized events to promote and celebrate children's rights. Discover some of those events!
Half of the children in Spain live today in a Child Friendly City
14 December 2023 - With eight new cities and municipalities recognized, Spain reaches the figure of 301 UNICEF Child Friendly Cities, which place almost 4 million children at the center of local policies.
