Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) – Decatur, GA

Problem/Rationale:

Decatur sought a structured, youth-centered approach to assess and improve the well-being, safety, equity, and inclusion of children and youth. While the city had long invested in child-focused programs, leaders recognized the need for deeper engagement of young people in decision-making, more robust data on child well-being, and an equity-focused framework to ensure all children are supported and heard.

Goals:

• Center children’s rights and well-being in local policy, planning, and services.
• Ensure young people’s voices meaningfully shape decisions that affect them.
• Build a coordinated, data-driven framework for improving safety, inclusion, social services, and play.
• Strengthen partnerships among agencies serving children and youth.
• Become formally recognized as a UNICEF Child Friendly City.

Project Summary:

In 2019, Decatur was invited by a local UNICEF staff member to join the first U.S. pilot cohort of UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative, a global program rooted in children’s rights and community-wide collaboration. Decatur embraced the opportunity and, in 2021, signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with UNICEF USA. The city launched its Child Rights Situational Analysis, conducting a comprehensive review of data related to safety, equity, inclusion, social services, environment, and play to establish a baseline for future progress.

The initiative is partnership-driven and led by Decatur Children & Youth Services (CYS), which convened a diverse 10-member Leadership Team representing schools, public health, housing, youth councils, nonprofits, and grassroots residents. Together, they designed a multi-faceted community assessment, including youth-led survey reviews, in-school dot-voting activities, after-school site surveys, and public data analysis. Findings highlighted both strengths and disparities—most notably stark differences in trust, safety, and access between citywide averages and youth living in Decatur Housing Authority communities.

Building on this assessment, the project transitioned to a Teen Leadership Team (TLT), recruiting 28 teens from across the city to lead the design of Decatur’s Local Action Plan. Using tools such as the Ladder of Youth Participation and the “5 Whys” root-cause method, teens identified priority areas, developed goals, and prepared to present the city’s first child-centered action plan to the City Commission. Upon approval, Decatur will apply to become a formal UNICEF Child Friendly City and begin implementing the one-year action plan.

Engagement Strategies:

• Youth leadership: Teen Leadership Team (TLT), Decatur Youth Council involvement, youth-led survey design and prioritization.
• Community partnerships: Collaboration among CYS, City Schools of Decatur, Decatur Education Foundation, Housing Authority, Active Living, and local experts.
• Interactive youth engagement: Dot-voting surveys, focus groups, school-based outreach, incentives, and multilingual accessibility.
• Training and capacity-building: VOX ATL youth-adult partnership training; leadership development tools such as Myers-Briggs and Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens.
• Data and evaluation: Citywide child rights situational analysis, disaggregated youth data, and public data dashboards.
• Inclusive recruitment: Open teen recruitment through schools, newsletters, QR codes, and outreach to historically underrepresented youth.

Outcomes:

• Conducted Decatur’s first comprehensive child well-being situational analysis.
• Reached hundreds of children and teens across schools, after-school programs, and housing authority communities.
• Identified five youth-selected priority areas, including mental health, equal treatment, policing and trust, accessibility of public spaces, and environmental stewardship.
• Established a functioning Teen Leadership Team representing diverse identities, languages, and backgrounds.
• Developed the foundation for Decatur’s first Local Action Plan for children and youth.
• Strengthened cross-sector partnerships and elevated youth voice as a formal part of decision-making.
• Positioned Decatur to apply for formal UNICEF Child Friendly City Candidate status.

Resources

• Decatur’s AAC Presentation