The City of Edmonton has a clear vision: to create a vibrant, connected, safe, sustainable and welcoming city.
A child-friendly city welcomes and involves children and youth and promotes their well-being and safety. It fosters the rights of young people as contributing members of society who have a sense of ownership and a voice in their community.
Child Friendly Edmonton, in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration, works with citizens, community groups and orders of government to create the best possible results for children and their families.
The Child Friendly Edmonton Initiative is based on the International UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative. It promotes the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at the level where it has the greatest direct impact on children’s lives: in the cities where they live.
The Child Friendly Edmonton Strategy has foundational principles, three main goals, and several building blocks within each goal.
The first goal is aimed at generating enhanced awareness and understanding of issues facing, and opportunities for, Edmonton’s children. With greater awareness, the community at large can embrace the principles of Child Friendly Edmonton, and implement changes wherever appropriate. The goal also promotes children’s active involvement in issues that affect them by listening to their views, considering them in the decision making processes, and empowering them to be self-advocates.
The second goal seeks to improve access to programs and services for all children and youth. Gender, ability, income, disability, transportation, equipment and other barriers can be reduced and removed so that all children and youth have equitable opportunities to participate. A key component of this goal is the creation of partnerships and collaborative opportunities.
The last goal focuses on providing quality experiences for children, in safe environments,
provided by qualified staff and volunteers, to enrich their skills, knowledge and lives in
general. Together the goals for Child Friendly Edmonton provide direction and focus to efforts that meet the needs of children and youth. The building blocks provide tangible ways to initiate changes and monitor progress toward achieving the goals.