Does Europe do enough to protect children’s rights?
A major international conference examining what European countries can do better to promote and protect the rights of children is underway. Governments, members of parliaments and child rights experts have come together under the banner of...Read more
Children ‘benefit from mixed-age play’
A generation ago, play was something most parents thought about. On a nice day, parents would send kids out into the neighbourhood in the morning, telling them to be back for dinner. That’s rare these...Read more
The book buses changing children’s lives in Kabul
Mobile library programmes which take books and learning to impoverished urban communities are starting to make a big difference to children’s lives. A pair of travelling libraries – two converted blue buses full of kids’ books...Read more
Early learning programme expanded to five new US cities
A major charity is helping five US cities run an early-years education scheme which supports language development to get children ‘school-ready’. Bloomberg Philanthropies, one of the USA’s largest foundations, is providing almost $12million USD for rolling...Read more
Show kids how to play in a healthy Amsterdam
A new online book shows how ‘healthy play’ in Amsterdam can shape the futures of children growing up and playing in the city. Spelen In De Stad / Playing in the City is designed to show...Read more
Scotland Children Bill will give youngsters a voice in court
New legislation in Scotland should help ensure children’s best interests are at the centre of every family law case and that children’s views are heard by the court. Proposals under The Children Bill include regulation of...Read more
Amnesty International – ‘Let children strike over climate change’
The head of Amnesty International has made an extraordinary, personal appeal to thousands of schools to let pupils take part in planned global climate strikes. Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of the global human rights movement, believes...Read more
UN Children’s committee praises teen environmentalists
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child Rights (OHCHR) kicked off its latest session by commending young people for campaigning on environmental issues. Alexandria Villasenor, the 14-year-old founder of Earth Uprising International, and...Read more
Commissioner urges politicians to make children’s lives a priority plan
The Children’s Commissioner for England has used youngsters’ feedback to outline how a future government could help transform children’s life chances. With a General Election likely in the coming months, Anne Longfield says that while politicians...Read more
Shared learning is aim of Bernard van Leer Foundation’s new early years studies
The Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF), which works to improve opportunities for disadvantaged children, has published the first in a series of case studies examining global early years initiatives. Three initial reports, which look at projects...Read more
CitC Antwerp: Reflections on Placemaking and Co-creation
Irene Quintáns was the moderator of the Parallel Session on Placemaking and Co-creation during the Child in the City International seminar in Antwerp. In this article, she provides a summary of the presentations and ideas...Read more
A six-year study on understanding children’s perspectives
The Foundation of Greater Montréal is funding a six-year action research project that is focused on understanding children’s perspectives. The research will create a better understanding of the relationships between children and their environment over time. This participatory...Read more
Children’s involvement in shaping their communities
“Placemaking with Children and Youth: Participatory Practices for Planning Sustainable Communities,” which was released Sept. 17 by New Village Press, was written by three women with strong ties to the University of Colorado Boulder’s Community,...Read more
Detroit officials hand the planning baton to kids
Municipality officials in Detroit planning the city’s future taking the view that stuffy meetings held ‘for the sake of meetings’ can be pointless – so why not enlist children’s help in the planning process? In a...Read more