Child Friendly Spaces Guidelines for Field Testing

The ‘Guidelines for Child Friendly Spaces in Emergencies’, Field Testing Version (January 2011), have been developed and reviewed by Global Protection Cluster, IASC Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Reference Group, Global Education Cluster and International Network of Education in Emergencies. Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs) are widely used in emergencies as a first response to children’s needs and an entry point for working with affected communities. Because CFSs can be established quickly and respond to children’s rights to protection, psychosocial well-being, and non-formal education, CFSs are typically used as temporary supports that contribute to the care and protection of children in emergencies. However, they are used also as transitional structures that serve as a bridge to early recovery and long term supports for vulnerable children. The purpose of these principles is to give practical guidance to the field teams that establish CFSs in different types of emergencies and contexts. They are also intended to guide advocacy efforts and donor practices in emergency settings where protection and well-being ought to be high priorities.