Child Friendly Municipality

Turku has conducted an extensive assessment of the current situation as part of the Child Friendly Municipality model. Based on the assessment, the city has prepared a new Child Friendly Municipality action plan in accordance with UNICEF’s guidelines for the model.

UNICEF Finland approved the City of Turku’s new Child Friendly Municipality action plan in September 2026. The work will be monitored and evaluated together with UNICEF Finland. Turku may receive its next UNICEF Child Friendly Municipality recognition once the measures in the action plan have been completed and the criteria for the recognition have been met.

The aim of UNICEF’s Child Friendly Municipality model is to ensure that children’s rights are realised as fully as possible in every child’s daily life.

UNICEF Finland first granted the City of Turku the Child Friendly Municipality recognition in 2018.

The Child Friendly Municipality model is a tool that UNICEF offers to municipalities. It helps municipalities safeguard a good childhood, particularly for the most vulnerable children. In Finland, 60 municipalities currently participate in the model, which reaches 55 per cent of the children living in Finland. The model is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and UNICEF’s international Child Friendly Cities model.

In a child-friendly municipality, children are treated equally as residents. They are involved in the planning, evaluation and development of services. Every child is given equal opportunities to participate.

In municipal decision-making, children’s and young people’s knowledge of their everyday lives is utilised, and the impact of decisions on children is assessed. The child’s right to an adequate share of society’s resources is reflected in the municipal budget.

Both children and adults are informed about children’s rights. Children and young people are encouraged to participate actively in civil society, and they feel that they are valued members of their local community.

• Read more about the model on UNICEF’s website (in Finnish): Child Friendly Municipality model website
• Explore UNICEF Finland’s training courses (in Finnish): Training calendar | UNICEF

UNICEF’s Child Friendly Municipality model helps to ensure that the rights of the child are realised in the best possible way in the everyday life of every child. The UNICEF Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world. Its four principles are:

1. non-discrimination
2. considering the best interests of the child
3. the right to life and development
4. respecting the views of the child

The international World Children’s Day is celebrated every year on 20 November. Read more about the World Children’s Day and the Children’s Rights Week here: Children’s Rights Week in English

1. Municipal office-holders, employees, elected officials and key partners have been informed about children’s rights. Children’s rights are included in the municipality’s induction programme.
2. The municipality has clear guidelines to support the introduction and systematic implementation of child impact assessment (CIA). Child impact assessments are carried out jointly by a group of qualified professionals.
3. The municipality ensures that every child, including children from low-income families and children with disabilities, has opportunities to take part in hobbies and enjoy meaningful leisure time.
4. Make children’s participation and opportunities to be heard a permanent part of decision-making processes that concern them.
5. The municipality’s communications help make children’s rights visible and support their implementation.