Child-Friendly City

The municipality's Child-Friendly City work is guided by an action plan drawn up on the basis of current state mapping. According to the model, five to six objectives are selected for the action plan and the measures linked to them are pursued to achieve in four years. 

The current action plan has divided objectives into six themes: 

1. The inherent right to life and development 
2. Best interest of the child 
3. Participation 
4. Equality 
5. Rights of the child in municipal structures. 

The objective of the Inherent Right to Life and Development theme is: "Municipalities systematically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, prepare for the changing climate and take children into account in their climate work." 

Measures:

1. Drawing up the Agenda2030 guide for early childhood education and care. 
2. Schools organize, in collaboration with different operators, for example project weeks, theme days or courses on climate change in upper secondary schools. Sustainable development as part of school’s annual plan of the implementation of the local curriculum. 
3. Reduce littering in environment. In participatory budgeting, an idea is put to the vote, proposing that the environment be cleaned up through youth initiatives. 
4. School meals will be developed in accordance with the Oulu circular economy roadmap. 

The objective of the theme Best Interest of the Child is: "The evaluation of the impact on children is implemented systematically in the municipality."

Measures:

1. The Oulu-based child impact evaluation model is described and implemented in all branches and decision-making.
2. Increasing the systematization of child impact evaluation processes.
3. The evaluation of child impact is regularly processed at the meetings of the Child-Friendly City coordination group and guidance group.
4. Create and update an electronic document base for evaluating child impact on the  www.hyvinvointikertomus.fi website.
5. Reviewing the City Board's decision concerning the operation model for child impact evaluation during 2021.
6. Training the personnel and decision-makers to evaluate impact on children.
7. Create a model for linking child impact evaluation to construction project planning.
8. Prepare a toolkit for preparers for evaluating the impact on children.

The objective of the Participation theme: "The municipality also ensures the participation of children in vulnerable position and evaluates it."

Measures:

1. We will create a roadmap for the participation of children and young people.
2. An evaluation is made of what kind of children and groups of children are not able to participate. A concrete evaluation tool is developed.
3. We will promote the participation of vulnerable children and their opportunities to influence their growth environment in cooperation between the city and regional operators. Compile good practices.
4. The personnel's competence is systematically developed for them to understand vulnerable children and young people's situation. Training is organized on identification and accessibility of vulnerable children.

The objective of the Equality theme is: ”Children's growth environments and zoning methods prevent inequality among children and the hereditary nature of the guardian's low level education"

Measures:

1. Actively prevent inequality among children: different operation models are implemented at city level. Allocate funds for positive special treatment. Cooperation with organizations strengthens achieving objectives.
2. Aim to achieve as balanced and mixed a population structure as possible in all residential areas by using demographic and socio-economic indicators through zoning, plot transfers and land use agreements.
3. When updating the City Strategy and city-level plans, we will examine the content from the perspective of the Child-Friendly City model and the Non-Discrimination Act and especially from the perspective of vulnerable children. 

Children's Rights in Municipal Structures theme's objective is: ”Municipal communications promote the visibility and implementation of children's rights.”

Measures:

1. Communications directed at children and young people, as well as families with children. We will implement social media channels relevant for children and young people and make existing channels available to them. Paid social media advertising is also used to reach young people. Let children and the youth control social media channels at least twice a year. Matters relevant and interesting to children and young people are taken into account when planning social media content.
2. Participatory budgeting includes planning detailed measures for communications directed at children and young people.
3. Special attention is paid to accessibility and clear and non-bureaucratic language. The city organizes training in clear official language for its personnel.
4. Increasingly include diverse children and families in all communications, including visual communications. Supplement the city's media bank with photos of representatives of different population groups and minorities.
5. Select children, young people and social media influencers as brand ambassadors also. When planning implementation of the city brand, we will take children and young people also into consideration. 
6. Decisions concerning children and families are communicated as part of the child impact evaluation process. The evaluation of the impact on children is published on the hyvinvointikertomus.fi website.
7. The City of Oulu and the region's family organizations cooperate in events and in communications. Organizing the annual Oulun Ilon päivä event in cooperation.
8. Communicating about children's rights to children and the youth: utilize Agenda 2030 videos and early childhood education and care's anniversary videos on children's rights. Make videos related to children's rights together with children and young people.
    

The objective of the theme Implementation of UNICEF's Child-Friendly City Model in the Municipality is: "The Child-Friendly City model and development work is a common goal for the entire municipality. The municipal management, all municipal divisions, decision-makers, the third sector and municipal residents are all committed to ensuring the rights of the child.

Measures:

1. Measures in accordance with UNICEF's Child-Friendly City model are firmly established in the City of Oulu.
2. The utilization of the Lapset puheeksi method increases in comparison to previous years (2020-2021).
3. Update the composition and the tasks of the steering group
4. Update the composition and the tasks of the coordination group
5. Update the induction material common to the city personnel, individual to the branches' and aimed to new councillors with regard to the Child-Friendly City model and children's rights. 
6. Build a website on Child-Friendly City on intranet Akkuna.
7. Other education and early childhood education providers and private service providers are engaged to the Child-Friendly City activities.
8. Create a version in plain language and English of the Child-Friendly City action plan on the website.
9. Ensure children and the youth's participation in the process of drawing up the City Strategy.
10. Monitoring the implementation of the Child Strategy in the City of Oulu.