Turku is a Child Friendly Municipality
We implement the UNICEF Child Friendly Municipality model. Its goal is to ensure that the rights of the child are realised in the daily life of every child.
The Finnish National Committee for UNICEF awarded the City of Turku the Child Friendly Municipality recognition for the first time in 2018. After that, the recognition was re-granted for four years in 2021.
When awarding the recognition, UNICEF evaluates both the development process and the results achieved. The work will not be complete, but the City of Turku is dedicated to advancing child-friendliness.
What makes a municipality child friendly?
In a Child Friendly Municipality, children are treated as equal residents of the municipality. They are actively involved in the planning, evaluation and development of services. Every child is guaranteed equal opportunities to participate.
Municipal decision-making makes use of the knowledge that children and young people have about their everyday lives, and assesses the impact of decisions on children. The municipal budget reflects children’s right to a fair share of society’s resources.
We inform both children and adults about the rights of the child. We encourage children and young people to actively engage in civil society and to feel valued as members of their local community.
Read more about the model on UNICEF’s website: Child Friendly Municipality
The rights of the child as a starting point
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:
- non-discrimination
- considering the best interests of the child
- the right to survival and development
- 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: Lapsenoikeudet.fi
How to promote and support children’s participation through your own activities? All interested stakeholders in the City of Turku can schedule a workshop titled Lapsen oikeudet toteutuvat arjessa [The rights of the child are realised in everyday life].
The workshop provides practical tools for promoting children’s participation. The workshop is suitable for anyone working with or on behalf of children and families.
- The workshop is suitable for groups of around 20 people.
- It lasts about 2 hours.
- The workshop is led by the contact person of UNICEF in Turku. Contact: osallisuus@turku.fi
Promoting child-friendliness in Turku
Child Friendly Municipality Action Plan 2022–2025
The Child Friendly Municipality Action Plan contains a vision and objectives with measures. The vision of Turku’s action plan is “Everything is possible”.
Measures:
- We create a city-level model for preventive mental health and substance abuse work. The operating model outlines how each resident can be genuinely acknowledged and heard.
Promoting inclusion is a core operating principle for those working with children and young people. We particularly encourage the involvement of young people as they do not yet have the opportunity to influence by voting.
Measures:
- From 2021 to 2023, Turku’s participatory budgeting model, Asukasbudjetti [Resident Budgeting], centres on the theme of promoting the well-being of children and young people.
- Turku involves children and young people in both concrete climate actions and decision-making.
- Broadening outreach recreational activities
- We will rebrand the Mihi product and enhance both its offerings and accessibility, including creating opportunities in areas with significant barriers to leisure activities, where participation is currently low.
- Piloting the Nuorisopassi [Youth Passport] application in six schools.
Measures:
- Turku conducts pre-decision child-impact assessments when preparing decisions that are recognised as having a significant impact on the well-being and daily lives of children, teenagers, and their families.
- We educate municipal office holders, employees, elected officials and key stakeholders about the rights of the child and their various aspects, including child impact assessment, budgeting for children, and children’s participation.
Measures:
- We compile clear instructions for both young people and adults, and take measures to ensure they are implemented.
- We look into how social media security can be used more effectively.
Turku invests in the equal and non-discriminatory development of learning and competence in residential areas, taking into account different language groups, with a particular focus on digital literacy and basic skills (reading, writing and mathematics). A solid foundation of basic competencies fosters societal connections and ensures equal access to further education and employment. By guaranteeing that all age groups have the required competencies, we can effectively reduce intergenerational exclusion.
Measures:
- Supporting the language skills of people with an immigrant background in all age groups. This measure will be specified further.
- Implementing the Tiedettä lapsille [Science for Children] space as a pop-up.
Read more about the Child Friendly Municipality Action Plan and its measures in PDF format (in Finnish).
Lapsiystävällinen kunta -toimintasuunnitelma 2022-2025 pdf, 245.79 KB
