Evaluation of Child Friendly Spaces

Child friendly spaces (CFS) have become a widely used approach to protect and provide psychosocial support to children in emergencies. However, little evidence documents their outcomes and impacts. Recognizing this, the Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) of the Global Protection Cluster and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings have identified research in this area as a high priority.

In response to a commitment to strengthen the evidence base for humanitarian practice and the prioritisation of CFS as a key area for research, World Vision and Columbia University, working with Save the Children, UNICEF and others, engaged in a three year collaborative project to document the outcomes and impacts of CFS and develop capacity for rigorous evaluation.

A systematic review of existing evidence was carried out for the project. It revealed that relatively few studies of CFS had been completed and that these were generally not designed in a robust enough manner to infer impact.

Here you will find the Research Report and Summary Findings, as well as Tools and Guidance, which provides practical guidance to child protection and MHPSS practitioners for monitoring and evaluating child friendly spaces.