Evaluation of Child Friendly Spaces Iraqi Field Study Report

In a three-year collaboration, World Vision International and Columbia University, now joined by UNICEF and Save the Children, are seeking to document the protective and restorative effectiveness of Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs), identify good practice in CFS design and implementation, and contribute to the development of better monitoring and evaluation tools for CFS programming. Facilitated through this research partnership, this study was conducted in Domiz Refugee Camp located in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Government of Iraq and UNICEF. This study marks the third evaluation completed as part of this collaboration and the first in the Middle East region responding to the crisis in Syria.

The evaluation indicated that the CFS was successful with respect to a number of the program’s objectives. It also indicated that programming could be usefully strengthened to ensure appropriate opportunities are taken to support children’s psychosocial wellbeing. Those attending the CFS would benefit from awareness of wider community-based resources and consideration should be given to the CFS serving as a hub for resource persons from non-governmental organizations, community groups and children’s families to promote their activities and potential supports.