The Child Friendly Cities Initiative-Minneapolis Model.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Urban Planning
• Child Development

Background:

• The Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) is a global UNICEF framework promoting children's rights, based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
• CFCI operates in over 44 countries, aiming to protect children's rights and foster their well-being.
• No Child Friendly Cities were established in the United States prior to this initiative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the first Child Friendly City within the United States.
• To implement the CFCI framework in Minneapolis, ensuring children's rights and optimal development.
• To create a model for future child-friendly city developments in the U.S.

Main Methods:

• A community needs assessment was conducted, involving a 60-question digital survey.
• Participants included 173 Minneapolis youth (ages 10-18) and 85 parents of young children.
• Survey participants were recruited from four Minneapolis neighborhoods with high concentrations of children, communities of color, and immigrant families.

Main Results:

• Community assessment findings informed the development of four key programmatic initiatives.
• Programmatic initiatives focused on child rights learning, emergency preparedness, community safety, and youth decision-making.
• CFCI-Minneapolis successfully achieved full designation as a child-friendly city by UNICEF USA in February 2024.

Conclusions:

• Successful implementation of the CFCI-Minneapolis Model highlighted the importance of partnership, dedication, and leadership.
• Community engagement, coalition building, and celebrating successes were crucial lessons learned.
• The initiative provides a replicable model for establishing child-friendly cities in underserved U.S. communities.