UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative
Image: Decatur Square, GA
The UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) is a global effort that encourages local governments to take deliberate action to improve the quality of life for children and adolescents in their community.
CFCI helps cities focus on ensuring that children have access to essential services like health, education, and safe public spaces, while also promoting their right to participate in civic life.
Problem
The city of Decatur, Georgia sought designation as a “Child Friendly City” by UNICEF but required an independent evaluator.
Solution
Provide 3rd-party evaluation of the 2021-2024 pilot initiative to determine whether the City of Decatur met the conditions for becoming a Child Friendly City.
Methods
Interviews
Data Analysis
Reporting
Anne Day Leong, Senior Director of Research and Evaluation at UNICEF USA
Dr. Reynolds approached our project with an organized plan of action to keep the project on time without sacrificing scholarly rigor. His work exemplifies meticulous attention to detail and scholarship while communicating his findings in an accessible way for a general audience. Dr. Reynolds combined document review with quantitative and qualitative data analysis to provide a holistic evaluation of UNICEF’s initiative in the US and provide valuable recommendations to improve and increase impact. I would not hesitate to fully recommend Dr. Reynolds as a dedicated and effective professional.
Results
The evaluation sought to answer to what extent did Decatur implement the strategies outlined in its action plan and to what degree were youth involved in leadership and decision-making.
This was accomplished through a combination of documentation, youth focus groups, and stakeholder interviews.
View additional documents on the City of Decatur CFCI website
The results of the evaluation indicated that Decatur made significant progress toward each of the five strategies outlined in their Local Action Plan.
Trust with police
Equitable and inclusive city
Mental health access and awareness
Environmentally conscious city
Improving public spaces
Youth also played a significant role in advancing these strategies as found through interviews and focus groups. Therefore, Decatur was recommended to be recognized as a Child Friendly City.
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