Child Friendly Spaces Facilitator Training Manual

Child Friendly Spaces, one of Save the Children’s emergency interventions, provide children with protected environments in which they participate in organized activities to play, socialize, learn, and express themselves during the recovery process after a disaster or other emergency. Such spaces also provide children’s parents or guardians with potentially valuable information through the usage of message boards, as well as providing them with the opportunity to have a safe space for their children while they go about the business of rebuilding their lives. During the training you will learn how to establish a Child Friendly Space as well as become more familiar with the Save the Children Child Friendly Spaces in Emergencies Handbook (October 2008). This Handbook is a valuable reference that guides Save the Children emergency response personnel and implementing partners in the rapid implementation of effective Child Friendly Spaces for children. The Handbook is for use 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 or partners for volunteers or facilitators prior to any Child Friendly Space establishment. This facilitator manual also assumes Save the Children staff members, partners or other relevant organization carried out a rapid needs assessment and determined that Child Friendly Spaces are actually needed within the community.