Tag Archives: children in emergencies

This training manual is a reference that guides Save the Children emergency response personnel and implementing partners in the rapid implementation of effective child friendly spaces for children during and immediately after an emergency such as a natural disaster or situation of armed conflict. These trainings should be implemented by Save the Children staff orContinue reading “Save the Children (2009) Child Friendly Spaces Facilitator Training Manual”

This case study documents the role that child-friendly spaces have played as a response mechanism in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Philippines, including transition/exit strategies, best practices, and challenges. The case study provides lessons from the Philippines context to provide insight on a broad level into the role of child-friendly spaces andContinue reading “UNICEF (2014) Documenting Child Friendly Spaces Across Typhoon Haiyan Affected Areas”

This resource explains how Safe Spaces can provide holistic support to help babies and young children overcome the physical, emotional and psychological trauma inflicted by emergencies. It includes case studies of successful projects and demonstrates the amazing resilience of children who, with good support, can thrive in the most adverse circumstances. Back to Resources

This set of resources covers psychosocial elements key to Safe Space programming and have detailed activities to support their implementation. They can also be used to complement and reinforce one another. Back to Resources

This manual describes Christian Children’s Fund child protection framework, which provides the conceptual foundation for establishing child-centered spaces (CCSs). The manual then provides 13 practical steps for implementing CCSs. The annexes and a reference list provide supplemental resources for working with CCSs, including assessment tools, community mobilization guidelines, additional training modules, and record keeping andContinue reading “Christian Children’s Fund (2008) Starting Up Child Centered Spaces in Emergencies: A Field Manual”

These checklists provide simple guidance on minimum standards for the establishment and operation of child-friendly spaces. They include questions to check that every stage of the process has been completed properly – from inclusion in the proposal, to budgeting, implementation and M&E. Back to Resources

This checklist is intended to help child psychosocial support and child friendly space supervisors adhere to quality standards during program implementation. It is a general list that will need to be modified based on the specific context. Elements of this list can be used to create monitoring tools, including for monitoring the quality of psychosocialContinue reading “Catholic Relief Services (2018) Quality Checklist for Child Psychosocial Support and Child Friendly Spaces”

These minimum standards outline the steps to set up and run a CFS in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. They include community-based child protection mechanisms, safety and security principles, and considerations in how to close a CFS. Back to Resources

This handout offers ways to be more inclusive of children with disabilities in child-friendly spaces in humanitarian settings. Back to Resources

This case study describes child- and adolescent-friendly spaces set up by Plan International after the 2015 Nepal earthquake. Lessons learned include the importance of early involvement of parents and caregivers in the activities to reinforce awareness raising and protection of children; pre-positioning of materials such as tents and play materials; and the importance of intensiveContinue reading “Plan International (2016) Child and Adolescent Friendly Spaces. Providing Child Protection and Education in Emergencies: A Case study from the Nepal 2015 Earthquake Response”

This case study examines lessons learned from three child-friendly spaces established by Plan International in conflict-affected communities in Timbuktu (out of a total of eight spaces that reached 4,400 children in Plan International’s humanitarian response in Northern Mali). The findings emphasize the importance of establishing safe spaces at trusted, central places in the community toContinue reading “Plan International (2017) Child Friendly Spaces Providing Child Protection and Education in Conflict Settings: A Case Study from Timbuktu, Mali”

The Toolkit for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings provides a set of materials to assist managers and facilitators/animators in setting up and implementing quality CFS. These resources have at their core the protection of children from harm; the promotion of psychosocial well-being; and the engagement of community and caregiver capacities. The CFS Toolkit includes:Continue reading “World Vision and IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support (2019) Toolkit for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings”

This study examined how a child-friendly space (CFS) can address the needs of children of different sexes, ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Based on fieldwork conducted in the Philippines and a desk review on CFS world-wide, the findings include issues and challenges faced by different children and good practices and recommendations to overcome barriers in benefitingContinue reading “Plan International (2013) Inclusion in Child Friendly Spaces: A Study on Barriers and Good Practices”

These guidelines outline a clear and comprehensive way to establish a child-friendly space in different emergency contexts (natural disaster and war situations). They consist of principles for establishing a child-friendly space and implementation in practice, starting with assessment and selection of site and staff. The guidelines also include ideas for ongoing training and follow-up supportContinue reading “Global Education Cluster (2011) Guidelines for Child Friendly Spaces in Emergencies”

These guidelines cover the development and implementation of child-friendly spaces in emergencies in the Philippines. They link with existing guidelines on Camp Management and Women-Friendly Spaces and are informed by the global Guidelines for Child-Friendly Spaces and the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action. Back to Resources

This training package is designed to assist UNICEF staff and partners in establishing and operating Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) in an emergency. It covers all aspects of developing and operating a CFS and presents design approaches that may be adapted in various emergency contexts. The overall aim is to improve the standards and capacity of fieldContinue reading “UNICEF (2020) A Practical Guide for Developing Child-Friendly Spaces”