The network of Child Friendly Cities The movement continues to grow in Spain with new recognitions and renewals that focus on the rights of children and adolescents. In various parts of the country, from large municipalities to medium-sized towns, local councils are strengthening their policies to ensure that children have a real presence in public life and local planning.
This impulse translates into local plans, participation tips and institutional alliances They seek something as simple to say as it is complex to organize: that children live in safe, participatory environments designed specifically for them. Several municipalities have recently received or renewed the distinction awarded by UNICEF Spain, consolidating an ever-expanding network of local governments committed to children.
An expanding state network: 18 new recognitions and more than 300 entities
At an event held in Madrid, at the headquarters of Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030The diplomas have been awarded to the new students Child Friendly Cities corresponding to the 2025 call. In this edition, the following have been added 18 new local entities, which become part of a network that already integrates 311 local governments between municipalities, associations of municipalities, a provincial council and an island council.
According to the data presented at the ceremony, this network is home to almost half of the child and adolescent population of SpainSpecifically, 48,34%. In addition, the following have been recorded: 409 tips for child and adolescent participation with more than 13.000 members, which gives an idea of the growing importance of children's voices in municipal policies.
The list of new recognitions includes towns from virtually every region of the country. AndalucíaAlgeciras, Baños de la Encina, Huércal-Overa, Loja and Mengíbar are also included; Castilla la ManchaGuadalajara, La Roda (Albacete) and Ugena (Toledo); in Catalonia, La Ràpita (Tarragona); in the Valencian Community, Albuixech, Benissa, Mutxamel and Torrebaja; in EstremaduraSierra de Gata, Puebla de la Calzada and Valverde de Leganés; and in Galicia, To Laracha and Cedeira.
During the event, the Secretary General of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP)Luis Martínez-Sicluna emphasized that this program constitutes “a benchmark of quality and a boost” to consolidate municipal actions in defense and promotion of children's rights. She also noted that the fight against child poverty is being addressed across all sectors, including education, health, nutrition, housing, and governance.
The framework of the initiative: UNICEF, Ministry and FEMP as allies
The initiative Child Friendly Cities is powered by UNICEF Spain since 2002, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Children, the FEMP and the University Institute of Needs and Rights of Children and Adolescents (IUNDIA) from the Autonomous University of Madrid. Together they form the so-called Permanent Secretary, the body that designs the methodological framework, evaluates applications and monitors commitments.
The First Vice President of UNICEF Spain, Fernando SequeiroHe recalled that being a Child Friendly City is not a one-off recognition, but “a long-term process” This involves reorienting local policies to place children and adolescents at the heart of municipal action. As he explained, it's about transforming children's lives. counting on their own participationand to ensure that all children feel represented, including those in situations of special vulnerability.
Along the same lines, the Secretary of State for Youth and Childhood, Rubén Pérez CorreaHe emphasized the role of local councils as the closest level of government. He stated that these 18 new awards represent a added commitment by local governments and their technical teams, by going beyond what is usually expected to respond to what children and adolescents really need and expect.
The FEMP actively participates in this model, not only through the Permanent Secretariat, but also through specific networks and programs, such as initiatives to combat [the...] child poverty or the project Positive Familiesfocused on positive parenting. All of this is coordinated with the European Child Guarantee, financed with funds from the European Social Fund Plus.
Local plans, real participation and mandatory diagnoses
To obtain the distinction, local entities must meet a series of requirements technical and political requirementsIt is not just about submitting a candidacy, but about demonstrating that there is a consolidated local childhood strategy, with clear objectives, budget and evaluation mechanisms.
Among the basic requirements is the development of a detailed diagnosis on the situation of children and adolescents in the municipality. This analysis should reflect the reality of minors in areas such as education, health, leisure, and protection from violence. Public spaces, participation or social inclusion, and serve as a basis for the subsequent Local Plan for Childhood and Adolescence.
This plan must include objectives aligned with the Convention on the Rights of the Childmonitoring indicators and a specific budget. In addition, the creation of at least one stable group of children and adolescent participation, generally in the form of a Local Council for Children and Adolescents (CLIA) or similar body, where children can express opinions and propose improvements for their environment.
The accreditation, with a validity of four yearsThis requires local councils to demonstrate concrete results: increased participation, reduced discrimination, improved urban environments, strengthened basic services, and enhanced coordination between municipal departments. They typically have to conduct a mid-cycle review. To be accountable before the Permanent Secretariat, reporting on the progress and corrections applied.
This entire regulatory and organizational framework pursues a very clear objective: that children's rights Don't just stay on paperbut rather truly influence how urban policies, services, and local programs are designed, from urban planning to culture or the sport.
Alcalá la Real: signage, active CLIA and a consolidated local plan
In the municipality of Jaén, Alcala la RealThe recognition as a Child and Adolescent Friendly City—awarded for the period 2024-2028—has become a kind of roadmap for local policies. The mayor accepted the award in Madrid, and a year later, the city celebrated a institutional act to make that commitment visible.
The event, organized by the Education areaThe meeting brought together the mayor, Marino Aguilera; the vice president of UNICEF Andalusia and provincial delegate in Jaén, José Sánchez; the councilor for Education, Baldomero Andréu; the coordinator of the Local Council for Children and Adolescents, Damián Boronat; and several minors who were members of the council itself. CLIADuring the ceremony, it was emphasized that the recognition is the result of the successful implementation of the Local Plan for Childhood and Adolescence, approved by the municipal council in July 2022.
Councillor Andréu emphasized the ongoing and collaborative work of different municipal departments, highlighting the role of Social Services areaFrom the education team, the health sector, the schools, and the Local Commission for Children and Adolescents. As a visible gesture, they have installed identifying signs at the entrances to the municipality and badges have been given to each educational center to reinforce the message in the community.
The children from CLIA took the opportunity to demand a Alcalá: greener, safer, more inclusive and more participatoryRemembering that children also have a voice and ideas and want to be heard, they pledged to continue making proposals to improve the city and defend the rights of all children, convinced that “A city that listens to its children is a city that grows with a future.”.
For his part, coordinator Damián Boronat thanked both the City Council and UNICEF for their support, insisting that the title should not be seen as a mere symbolic recognition, but as a commitment to real participation of children in local public life. UNICEF representative José Sánchez emphasized the importance of promoting children's participation from a public and political perspective, so that their opinions are not secondary but taken into account.
The mayor closed the event by expressing the municipality's pride in the achievement and announced that Alcalá la Real is strengthening its educational, cultural and social programs aimed at children and adolescents, with new safe and accessible spaces and more opportunities for participation through CLIA. The day concluded with the presentation of distinctive features of the centers educational activities and the unveiling of an official plaque in the fairgrounds area that recognizes the town as a Child and Adolescent Friendly City.
La Rinconada renews its recognition and approves a second Children's Plan
Another example of continuity in this area is The corner place, in the province of Seville, which has achieved the renewal of recognition UNICEF Spain and the Permanent Secretariat have congratulated the municipality on its work for years to guarantee the rights of children and adolescents as a Child Friendly City for the period 2026-2029.
The official statement emphasizes that this recognition highlights the work of the local governments in partnership with other actorsand especially with the beneficiaries themselves—children—to advance towards real transformations in their well-being. Membership in this network implies sharing the vision that the progress of children is also the progress of society as a whole.
The delegate for Youth and Childhood, Mercedes Bueno, explained that the City Council continues to develop policies for childcare from a perspective comprehensive and global of local action. The stated objective is twofold: on the one hand, to ensure the fulfillment of children's rights and the satisfaction of their basic needs; on the other hand, to promote changes that improve the community both in the present and in the long term.
In June, the full city council approved the Second Municipal Plan for Children and Adolescents for the period 2025-2028, which serves as the main tool for local child and youth policy. This plan sets objectives and defines the actions that each municipal area must develop to respond to the identified needs of the children and young people in the municipality, following the Children's rights convention and current regulations.
The plan is structured around seven main objectives: that minors be valued, respected, and treated fairlywithout discrimination; that their opinions and priorities be taken into account in public life through meaningful participation; that they have quality basic social services; that they grow up in a safe, secure and clean environment; that they have opportunities to enjoy family life, play and leisure; that there be a local structure and policies with a rights-based approach (including legislative changes, training of technicians and policymakers, and a budget for the plan); and that the local governance in matters of childhood.
Guadalajara: recovery of the distinctive character and local political debate
En GuadalajaraIn the provincial capital of Castilla-La Mancha, the City Council has managed to recover the Child Friendly City RecognitionAwarded by UNICEF Spain after an evaluation process. Mayor Ana Guarinos received the diploma in Madrid, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Social Rights, accompanied by the Councillor for Children, Roberto Narro.
The award ceremony was attended by representatives of the Permanent Secretariat: UNICEF SpainThe Ministry of Youth and Children, the FEMP (Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces), and the IUNDIA Institute participated in the event. Among those who spoke were the director of the university institute, María Ángeles Espinosa Bayal, the secretary general of the FEMP, Luis Martínez-Sicluna, and the president of UNICEF Spain, Gustavo Suárez-Pertierra. Two teenagers involved with UNICEF Spain, Alicia (14 years old) and Phillipa (17), shared their perspectives on the importance of children's participation in public decision-making.
Mayor Guarinos described the recognition as a reason to pride for the city and asserted that this confirms the child and youth policies undertaken are on the right track. She explained that the City Council will continue developing strategies focused on children's well-being, defending their rights, and creating opportunities for them to thrive. more livable urban environmentspaying special attention to the youngest.
To achieve the distinction, the council has followed a rigorous process which began with the presentation of the candidacy after its unanimous approval by the municipal council in January 2024. Subsequently, a formal commitment was signed with UNICEF for the development of a Local Children's Planwhich includes a thorough diagnosis of the situation of minors in the city, concrete objectives aligned with the five pillars of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a monitoring system with indicators and a specific budget.
Among the measures already implemented, the creation of the Council for Children and Adolescents As a stable participatory body, it guarantees the voice of children and adolescents in municipal decisions, as well as the implementation of internal coordination mechanisms to incorporate a child-centered perspective in all areas of government. This recognition is valid for four years, with the obligation to submit a progress report after two years.
At a political level, the recovery of the badge has also generated local debateThe government team has recalled that Guadalajara was already recognized as a Child Friendly City in 2012 and renewed the distinction in 2016, but that the title would have been lost in 2020 due to the absence of a renewal application during the subsequent term, which forced the procedure to be restarted from scratch.
The Socialist Municipal Group, for its part, has argued that the recognition “was never lost” in terms of commitment and work with children, and has asserted that during the previous term there was a push to reactivate the Council for Children and Adolescents and evaluate the existing plan. Socialist councilor Teresa López stressed the need for children's participation to be a guiding principle of local policies, going beyond the photo ops at official events.
Benissa and Mengíbar: new steps in the municipal children's agenda
The Alicante town of Benissa It has been officially recognized as a Child Friendly City at an event held in the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030The distinction recognizes the local commitment to the promotion and protection of the rights of children and adolescents, following a evaluation visit in which the safe, healthy and participatory environments promoted by the council were positively valued.
The mayor participated in the award ceremony, Arthur Pocket, the Councilor for Youth, Virginia Perez, and two representatives of Local Council of Children and Adolescents (CLIA)Martina Mendoza and Selena Chesa, who attended the state meeting as voices of local youth, were present. During the event, the role of young people themselves in shaping their environment and the importance of having a [a] ... active CLIA that conveys their concerns and proposals.
With this recognition, Benissa reinforces its intention to continue developing actions that place childhood at the center of the municipal agendaThe City Council has expressed its satisfaction with what it considers a further step towards consolidating a municipality committed to the well-being and comprehensive development of children and adolescents. According to the council, the accreditation reinforces its commitment to ensuring that their rights are heard, protected, and promoted in all aspects of local life.
En MengibarIn Andalusia, too, the designation as a Child Friendly City has been seen as a recognition of collective effort of the municipality. The City Council emphasizes that the UNICEF seal is not just a medal, but confirmation that children and adolescents are being prioritized at the heart of local public policies.
The council highlights several key areas of work: the priority given to children in municipal decisions, the commitment to participation —listening to their voices and fostering their active role in the life of the municipality—, the commitment to their well-being through safer spaces, educational projects and specific programs, and the will to build a a fairer and more sustainable future with childhood as the driving force of social transformation.
This achievement is seen as a shared result by families, schools, associations, professionals, and, of course, the children of the municipality themselves, who motivate continued improvement. The City Council emphasizes that this recognition speaks volumes about the present as well as the future of Mengíbar, and that the town wants to continue growing “with and for its children”.
Loja and other municipalities: active councils and a four-year commitment
The Granada municipality of Shop It has also joined the network as a Child Friendly City after a process that lasted more than two years. The town submitted its application to UNICEF in June 2024, coinciding with the drafting of its Local Plan for Children and Adolescents, and the request was ratified by the municipal council months later.
The delegation from Loja, headed by Mayor Joaquín Ordóñez, Councilor for Social Welfare Rocío Ortiz, and the area's technical team, attended the award ceremony at the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030. One of the key conditions for obtaining the recognition was the existence of a Local Council for Children and Adolescents, in this case under the name of “Our Voice of Loxa”, created in 2022 as a space for live participation.
This council works on both the objectives set by UNICEF and the proposals of the minorswho actively participate in issues affecting their municipality. Councilor Rocío Ortiz pointed out that the award demonstrates Loja's commitment to children and adolescents, and acknowledged the work of the municipal staff and her predecessors in the council.
By accepting the recognition, Loja commits for four years to obtain measurable results In defending children's rights, ensuring genuine and inclusive participation, making children feel included in local decisions, and working to eliminate all forms of discrimination against children and young people. Requirements include an assessment of the situation of children, a plan with a budget, and at least one active participation group.
Loja thus joins a group of 18 Spanish municipalities that have received recognition in this call, joining a network that, according to UNICEF data, sees its numbers grow every year. Percentage of proposals from children's participation bodies which are taken over by local governments and also self-managed initiatives by the children and adolescents themselves.
The various examples scattered throughout Spain—from Alcalá la Real, La Rinconada, and Mengíbar in Andalusia, to Guadalajara in Castilla-La Mancha, Benissa in the Valencian Community, and Loja in Granada—show that the seal of Child Friendly City It is ceasing to be an exception and becoming a quality standard in municipal policies. The combination of local plans, children's councils, regular evaluations, and joint work with UNICEF and other institutions is shaping a form of governance where the perspectives of children and adolescents truly matter in the development of towns and cities.
