CFS Toolkit Combined Final 29 November 2021 1

Child-Friendly Spaces Toolkit
Contact Information
ChildFund International
2421 Emerywood Parkway
Richmond, Va. 23226
[email protected]
www.ChildFund.org
This toolkit was produced with support from:

Lead Author: Radwa el Manssy, Sr. Advisor for Child Protection
Design: Justin Willet, Global Media
Editing: Erin Nicholson
Special thanks to the following ChildFund Country Offices and staff members
who contributed to the development of this toolkit:
Kim Repp, Manager for Internal Communication
Shelby French, Senior Youth and Gender Advisor
Rama Rao Dammala, Disaster Risk Management Specialist, India Country Office
Eunice Kilundo, Child Protection and Advocacy specialist in Kenya Country
Office
Leonor Fernandez, Child Protection specialist in Ecuador Country Office
Many of the materials were adopted from Philippines Country Office experience
with support of Marcela Donaal, Child Protection Specialist, and Erwin Galido,
Disaster Risk Management Specialist
ii
Table of Contents
Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) Overview

Step 1: Planning for CFS
Step 2: Community Engagement and Mobilization
Step 3: CFS Structure and Safety
Step 4: Staff Recruitment and Capacity Building
Step 5: Child Protection Linked to CFS
Step 6: Outreach Program
Step 7: Psychosocial Package
Step 8: Monitoring and Evaluation Component
Step 9: CFS Transition to Community and Exit
References
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix D
In This Toolkit
Step 1: Planning for CFS

Strategies to consider before implementing a Child-Friendly Space in a
community during or after an emergency.
Step 2: Community Engagement and Mobilization

Considerations for involving the community in mobilizing around setting
up a CFS, including engaging marginalized and vulnerable groups.
Step 3: CFS Structure and Safety

How to set up a safe, secure and sustainable CFS in a community.

Recruitment guidelines for building a staff comprised of trained personnel
from the organization and from within the community.
Step 5: Child Protection Linked to CFS

How to prioritize child protection concerns in all aspects of the CFS, and
how to handle and report issues if and when they arise.

When and how to reach the most vulnerable and excluded children, so
that they may be able to access and benefit from the CFS.
Step 7: Psychosocal Package

An introduction to psychosocial support and psychological first aid that
may need to be administered in a CFS setting for some children.
Step 8: Monitoring and Evaluation Component

Guidelines for how to monitor and continually evaluate the CFS and it’s
benefits for children, from set up to transition/exit.
Step 9: CFS Transition to the Community and Exit

Thoughtful ways to transition the CFS to the community, or close down
the space as appropriate.
Annex A
Alignment with CPMS Standard 15 Checklist
Annex B
Thematic Community Messages and Strategies for Outreach
Annex C
Child Protection Rapid Assessment
Annex D
CFS Program Implementation Checklist
iv
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
1
Child-Friendly Spaces
OVERVIEW
Child-Friendly Spaces Toolkit Overview
The Purpose of This Toolkit

This toolkit is designed to provide practical guidance that primarily focuses
on ready-made tools for field staff when implementing Child-Friendly Spaces
(CFSs). The toolkit is focused on improving CFS program quality through:
1. Capitalizing on community mobilization and families as the main nucleus for

CFS implementation.
2. Addressing child protection needs and priorities of affected communities.
3. Strengthening youth engagement in program implementation.
4. Improving the quality of the program during emergencies and recovery
phases.
5. Delivering non-structured and structured psychosocial activities for children.
OVERVIEW
2
Who can use this toolkit?
This toolkit is designed primarily for
frontliners who work as ChildFund staff
or through implementing partners (IPs).
Program management should closely review
this guide and develop a work plan that
addresses the various sections while allowing
senior management within country offices
to disseminate this toolkit to their needs.
Country offices should have a work plan
with clear milestones before training staff on
implementation.
How to use this toolkit?

This toolkit is divided into nine (9) steps that
support implementation of high-quality Child-
Friendly Spaces. Each component includes
a list of activities that staff may consider
during pre-positioning and implementation
phases, a list of input indicators to monitor
implementation, as well as tools that support
swift implementation during emergencies.
Menu
Step 1: Planning for CFSs
Step 2: Community engagement and mobilization
Step 3: CFS structure and safety
Step 4: Staff recruitment and capacity building
Step 5: Child protection programs linked to CFS
Step 6: Outreach program to reach excluded and vulnerable children
Step 7: Community-based psychosocial support (PSS) and PSS activities
Step 8: CFS Monitoring and evaluation
Step 9: CFS transition to community and exit
Please note that it IS NOT required to use all nine (9) steps included in this
toolkit for a successful CFS implementation. Rather, ChildFund recommends
that teams start small and expand based on the child protection and
community needs. Each component in the toolkit is designed to be
implemented separately or collectively, depending on the design of the CFS
and the needs of local community members and children.
OVERVIEW
3
Successful CFS Parameters
• Children’s and youth’s physical, intellectual, emotional, and development needs
are addressed in an age-appropriate way.
• Social relationships are positive and supportive, offer roles and tasks assigned
to youth, and are considered within the context of the community, culture and
traditions.
• Community members and children/youth have access and/or are linked to
economic and environmental resources.
OVERVIEW
4
When and Why to Establish a CFS
A CFS is not the only intervention that can be implemented during an emergency,
and it is not suitable for all emergencies (check the list in this section before
deciding to implement a CFS). However, a CFS is usually a successful strategy
when it:
• Offers immediate protection and security for children through the provision of
safe, adequately supervised spaces for them to gather and engage in normalizing
activities.
• Promotes in children healthy development and recovery from stressful events
associated with the emergency.
• Mobilizes the community to organize and act on behalf of their children.
An important theme throughout this toolkit is community mobilization, as it

engages communities to identify and take action to reduce harm against children
during emergency situations. It is important to note that CFS should not duplicate
other services nor replace any community strategies already in place.
OVERVIEW
5
Alignment with Child Protection Minimum Standards (CPMS) Standard 15
Standard 15: Group activities for child well-being

Children are supported through access to group-based, planned activities
that (a) promote protection, well-being and learning and (b) are delivered
in safe, inclusive and contextually age-appropriate approaches.1
This toolkit aligns with Standard 15 by providing the following:
• Step 2 Community Engagement & Mobilization: Provides teams with easy tools to
engage community members in selecting a CFS location, and involving them with
designing CFS activities.
• Step 6 Child Protection: Supports teams in training facilitators on Child
Safeguarding, developing child-friendly materials on Child Safeguarding, and
providing training for safely identifying and referring child protection cases.
• Step 7 Psychosocial Package: Guides teams in developing an activity plan that
includes non-structured, recreational activities drawing from communities’
resources, and implementing age-appropriate structured psychosocial
interventions.
• Step 8 Monitoring and Evaluation: Outlines how to set up an ongoing monitoring
system that includes child registration, and regular attendance, activity and referral
records. Provides guidance on how to register children (without duplication),
including obtaining their consent or assent forms; and involving communities and
children in monitoring activities.
• Step 9 CFS Transition to Community and Exit: Provides guidance on how and
when to phase out of the community by using tools to support community
members with organizing resources if they choose to keep the CFS activities.
Refer to Appendix A: Alignment with Child Protection Minimum Standards 15 checklist
1 The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (ACPHA) (2019), Minimum Standards for Child Protection in
Humanitarian Action, 2019 Edition. https://alliancecpha.org/en/system/tdf/library/attachments/cpms_2019_final_en.pdf?file=1&type=nod
OVERVIEW
6
Overall Objective of the CFS:
Child-Friendly Spaces are nurturing environments created within a community for
children to play, learn and relax in a safe space. A CFS may also offer psychosocial
and educational support to help children regain a sense of normalcy under
otherwise difficult or chaotic circumstances. CFSs are participatory in nature, often
established in familiar and existing spaces in the community, and may serve specific
age groups or a range of ages.1
A CFS is more than a place for games and recreation, it is an approach for
supporting children and youth to achieve their full physical, cognitive, social, and
emotional development within an emergency context. It can also act as a platform
to mobilize affected communities to protect and support its children, youth and
their families through recovery activities.
Integrated services are offered, including psychological first aid (PFA), non-
structured psychosocial interventions, and life-skills; as well as referral to child
protection, specialized mental health, education and immediate life-saving services
within one space. Activities also include regular community awareness raising
sessions to address child protection issues (see Appendix B: Thematic Community
Messages and Strategies).
The CFS approach focuses on reaching vulnerable and excluded children through
outreach activities that mobilize facilitators into the most remote areas within
communities. ChildFund’s emphasis on involving communities in the planning
stage ensures the transfer of assets and knowledge after exiting communities.
Key considerations to decide if a CFS is needed:

• Community has been severely affected by an emergency or crisis.
• Basic needs of food, shelter and water are being addressed through ChildFund or
other agencies within the area.
• CFS would not be used as a distribution center.
• CFS operations would not compete with school hours and activities, if the
education system is functioning.
1 Save the Children, Child-Friendly Spaces in Emergencies: A Handbook for Save the Children Staff (2008). Available at: https://www.
savethechildren.org/content/dam/global/reports/education-and-child-protection/cfs-handbook-08.pdf
OVERVIEW
7
STEP 1: PLANNING FOR CHILD-
FRIENDLY SPACES
Planning for Child-Friendly Spaces

1
STEP 1: Planning for
In This Section
Pg. 3 Guiding note on key considerations for

coordination with government, community, UN
and INGOs/NGOs
A guiding note for coordination with governments, partners,
UN, and INGOs.
Pg. 4 Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) needs

assessment
A rapid needs analysis tool (available for staff in Excel on
ChildFund’s Sharepoint site). The tool should complement
government assessment tool(s) and be verified by Child
Protection Rapid Assessment (CPRA), initiated by the UN
Cluster System.
Pg. 6 Checklist for country senior management team

(SMT) to support Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) site
logistics
Guiding note and checklist to mobilize support from
administrative team, HR, and finance to ensure swift
implementation.
Pg. 10 Step-by-step summary for initiating CFSs in the

field
A summary of steps needed to initiate CFSs in the field during
the onset of an emergency.
Pg. 14 CFS Minimum Standards’ Checklist

A checklist to support SMT and program teams when
developing and monitoring an action plan for CFS
implementation.

2
Guiding note on the key considerations for
coordination with government, UN and INGOs
Consultation and coordination between the

A QUICK CHECKLIST community, the relevant authorities, and with
FOR COORDINATION other agencies working in the area, before
setting up a Child-Friendly Space (CFS), are
□ Coordinate with key aspects to its successful implementation.
An important starting point is to identify the
government and other
organizations needs from child protection coordination
groups or working groups. If the cluster system
□ Government and national is not activated, consult national authority
authorities representatives, UNICEF, UNHCR, or other
active INGOs. It is highly important to work
□ Protection cluster and child within the national coordination systems led
protection coordinating by government or UN systems. ChildFund
groups must actively participate in the relevant
□ UNICEF and UNHCR/OCHA working groups set up at national, regional,

and local levels before initiating any Child
Protection in Emergency (CPiE) interventions.

3
Key questions for discussion around coordination:
• Are there relevant government or UN policies related to
?
support of children that need to be taken into consideration?
?
? • Is there common psychosocial support guidance or a
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for CFSs?
• Are there Guidance Notes or SOPs defined by protection
?
cluster or child protection coordination groups?
? • Is there an existing coordination mechanism for community

mobilization?
• Are other INGOs working on CFS programs? If so, what areas

do they cover? What gaps could you fill?
• What is the coordination mechanism between schools/

education services and the CFS?
Child-Friendly Spaces Planning Tools

NEEDS ANALYSIS: Child Protection in Humanitarian Response
Objective :
This Child Protection Rapid Assessment tool objective is to provide a snapshot of
urgent child protection related needs among the affected population during the
recovery phases of an emergency. Information gathered during this process can
support country offices in developing more comprehensive child protection response
strategies, including but not limited to implementation of a CFS intervention.
This tool should support country offices in assessing the impacts of the emergency
on children and communities and to identify opportunities for impactful child
protection program inventions.
This rapid assessment should not be confused with nor take the place of more
comprehensive assessments or other country-led response and coordination
initiatives.

4
CFS Planning Tools, cont.
Time: To be finalized in 1-2 weeks
Frequency: 1st week during onset of an emergency and every following quarter, if
needed
Steps:
1. Data can be gathered from secondary sources, anecdotal evidence, team
observations, families and children, and others.
2. This information is essential in order to determine child protection issues post-
emergencies, and to assist country teams in planning child protection focused
intervention(s) and activities linked to CFSs.
3. This may include gaps in services that need to be addressed to complement
CFS intervention.
4. The questions are based on Child Protection Minimum Standards guidance
and Child Protection Rapid Assessment guidance and tools.
5. The questions are grouped based on child protection standards and may not
all be relevant to each emergency context.
6. Country offices may select the most relevant questions to their contexts and
add other information they deem appropriate.
7. The Child Protection Rapid Assessment manual and training provides explicit
guidance on the adaptation of the tool to specific circumstances1.
Refer to Appendix C: Child Protection Rapid Assessment Tool for ChildFund

International Child Protection Programs in Emergencies. Access to Excel and
editable files are found on ChildFund’s SharePoint site: https://childfundintl.
sharepoint.com/sites/programs/EVPOffice/EmergencyMgmtUnit/cfs/SitePages/
Child-Friendly-Spaces.aspx
1 The Child Protection Rapid Assessment (CPRA) is an interagency tool designed for use following the rapid onset of an emergency. The
CPRA is free to download at: https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/library/child-protection-rapid-assessment-toolkit

5
Checklist for senior management teams to
support CFS’s site logistics and planning
Objective
This checklist is designed to support senior management teams (SMTs) during
the decision-making process for CFS intervention in targeted locations. The
checklist should guide SMT and in-country emergency teams working with
finance and administration departments to take all necessary actions to
ensure swift CFS implementation.
Time: To be discussed in SMT meetings

Frequency: Once before deciding on CFS implementation
Steps:
• The SMT should discuss this tool to assist the team in making a decision on
implementing a CFS intervention.
• The tool will assist the SMT in discussing and assessing the situation with
specialists and field staff.
• The proposed questions can be discussed remotely via internet platforms
or/and phone, with program teams located in the field to ensure that team
members are swiftly responding.
Access to Excel files are found on ChildFund’s SharePoint site: https://

childfundintl.sharepoint.com/sites/programs/EVPOffice/EmergencyMgmtUnit/
cfs/SitePages/Child-Friendly-Spaces.aspx

6
No. Details Yes No Remarks
1 Have the logistics department and/or

supply office been asked for program
plan costs and implementation time
frames?
2 Is there adequate logistics/supply

capacity to provide sites, tents or
temporary structures in the time frame
proposed?
Is there a material procurement

requirement, and if so, is there a plan
and budget in place? Can we meet
quality standards in the given time
frame?
3
□ Program supplies (e.g. toy kits or
education materials)
□ Structure supplies (e.g. tents,

roofing or fencing materials)
□ Site health and safety supplies (e.g.

signs, water filters, soap)
Are there adequate provisions planned

and budgeted for at the site for safe
water supply, soap and latrine facilities
(as per Infrastructure Standards)?
□ If a water supply system is required,

4 design is safe and has capacity
□ If latrines are required to be built,

design is safe and has capacity
□ Consumable health and sanitation

supplies are provided

7
Is there an adequate plan and budget
for safety and security?
• Guards (with CP training and

reference checks)
• Fire extinguisher and first aid kits
• External fencing
5 • Shade
• Safe lighting and electricity supply

(if available) or solar lighting
• Cleaning materials for site and

toys/equipment
• Safe cooking devices
• Lockable storage
Is there an appropriate plan in place

for implementing tents? Consider the
following:
• Source appropriate quality tents

and record donations.
• Import tents from emergency

stocks, considering both local and
6 national and internal storage and
transportation implications.
• Consider climate and changing

seasons including temperature,
potential for flooding, etc. Create
a plan for protecting the tents
adequately with shade netting,
raised flooring and plastic sheeting
over the canvas.

8
Is there an appropriate plan in place
for building temporary structures?
Consider the following:
□ Design drawings and bill of

quantities must be approved by the
appropriately qualified specialist,
program adviser and logistics/
supply officer.
7
□ Plan and budget for the
procurement and delivery of
suitable materials to the site within
a realistic timeframe.
□ Follow donor procurement

processes and tendering
requirements as required.
□ Plan for the management, time

frame and cost of labor teams to
clear site and build structures.
Staff and volunteer recruitment: Have

TORs been submitted for staff and
volunteers needed to run CFS?
□ A dedicated staff member from HR

will be deployed to hire staff and
8 volunteers.
□ HR will conduct one-day session

on Code of Conduct and ensure
that all newly recruited staff sig
code of conduct and reporting
mechanisms.

9
Step-by-step summary for initiating Child-
Friendly Spaces in the field
Coordination and assessment

1. Introduce ChildFund to the camp management/host
communities (use tools developed).
2. Collect estimated data on the number of school-aged children.

This step should complement the initial CPiE Assessment.
3. Confirm with the camp management/protection community

that there is a need for a CFS.
Staff and volunteer recruitment

1. Announce volunteer teacher and recreational facilitators recruitment in the camp/
host community by posting the selection criteria, and the interview date and
location.
2. Once the facilitator selection is completed, send the list of names and birth dates
to government or UN for security clearance (if required).
3. Organize a meeting or workshop with facilitators to explain their duties and

ChildFund rules.
4. Distribute contracts, job descriptions and the Code of Conduct (CoC) with staff
and volunteers.
5. Read and discuss the CoC to make sure everyone understands and agrees.
6. Ask staff and volunteers to sign the CoC and the contract.
7. Identify one person in the camp who has previously worked as a teacher or school
principal, and who has good management skills, to be the CFS monitor.
8. Ask the CFS monitor to read and sign the job description, CoC and contract.

10
Infrastructure setup (Refer to Infrastructure Standards)
1. Coordinate with WASH team or consultant to draft layout of the CFS.
2. Each CFS should have at minimum:
• 5 to 10 tents with concrete slabs, 28ft x 18ft (8.5m x 5.5m) per tent
• A distance of at least 20in (50 cm) between tents
• Access to latrine(s)
• Access to water (hand washing station)
• A fence with a gate
• Easy access for children with disabilities
3. School furniture per classroom
• 25 school benches (max per tent)
• 1 teacher desk
• 1 teacher chair
• 1 cabinet
• 1 white board
4. Other items
• Furniture and equipment for recreational tent
• 1 mattress
• Triangle shapes for special needs
• 1 ball swimming pool
• Carpets
• 2 wooden boxes

11
Materials •
STUDENT KIT ( To be distributed after a few weeks) RECREATIONAL KIT

Description of items Quantity Description of items Quantity
Backpack 1 Soccer ball 1
Exercise book, ruled, 50 pages 1 Volleyball ball 3
Notebook, ruled, 50/100 pages 6/4 Volleyball net 4
Drawing book 1 Pumps 1
Pencil sharpeners 1 Skipping rope 1
No. 2 pencils 3 Puzzles 3
Multi-colored pack of 10 to 12 1 Ludo 1
pencils Rubber horses 2
Eraser 1 Cars
Pens, ball point, black/blue 4 Trucks
• 12 in ruler 1 Cubes (100 pcs)
TEACHER KIT Plastic ball, small
Description of items Quantity Plastic ball, medium
Ledger 1 Reams A4 white paper
Notebook 3 Reams A3 poster sheets
Pens, ball point, black/blue 4 • Play dough (5 jars and
Eraser 1 shapes)
Pencil sharpeners 1
No. 2 pencils 3 Description of items Quantity
Multi-colored pack of 10 to 12 1 Construction paper (pack of 1

pencils 10 colors)
• Box of markers 2 Oil pastels (box of 24) 3

Colored pencils (box 36) 4
CFS KIT Colored markers 1
Description of items Quantity Watercolor paints 1
Clock 1 Scissors (children) 3
Broom 1/class Scissors (adult) 1
Dust pan 1/class Glue sticks 2
Dust bin 1/class Super glue
Map of location 1
Flash cards 3

12
Children’s Enrollment
1. Prepare forms for registration.
2. Train the CFS monitors on how to fill in the forms.
3. Instruct CFS monitor/facilitators to organize the registration, using a door-to-door
approach.
4. Enter all the registration data into the database.
Monitoring and Evaluation

1. Decide on which monitoring tools to use.
2. Distribute them to the team members and train them how to fill them in.
3. Set up a system for the monitoring data coordinator to collect the monitoring tools,
for entering and storing data, and for regular reporting to the team.
4. Appoint a monitoring data coordinator and train them.
5. Appoint an evaluation expert to help the team decide what impacts are to be
measured. This expert should then develop an impact evaluation plan which should
begin with a collection of qualitative and quantitative baseline data on the impacts
you have chosen to measure (see Appendix C).
Time Tables
1. Establish a learning timetable including preschool, special needs and all grades.
2. Establish a recreational timetable, including age- and gender-specific activities.
Training
1. Schedule CFS materials training for learning facilitators over the course of 6 days,
including the pre- and post-tests.
2. Schedule recreational activities training for recreational facilitators over the course of
2 days, including the pre- and post-tests.
3. Provide child protection training to CFS leaders and head of teachers.

13
Planning checklist for initiating CFSs
in the field
Objective:
This checklist is designed to support program teams at the country level to plan
and initiate quality CFS programs.
Time: Varies on the situation in field
Frequency: At the beginning of implementation and every two weeks to complete

appropriate activities
Steps:
• Managers can use the checklist to plan actions when a program starts – aiming
to have each of the items in the checklist completed means you are aiming for
quality.
• If the activities have not been completed, the ‘Action’ column allows you to plan
what to do next to improve quality.
• Program staff including managers and specialists may use the checklist at the
beginning of implementation for planning purposes and again a month or two
later to check early implementation
Users: Senior management and Child Protection Specialists at the country level.
Data collection method: It is recommended that data is collected during a field
visit to the CFS.
Tool: Refer to Appendix D—Child-Friendly Spaces’ Program Implementation
Standard Checklist
Access to Excel files are found on ChildFund’s SharePoint site: https://childfundintl.

sharepoint.com/sites/programs/EVPOffice/EmergencyMgmtUnit/cfs/SitePages/
Child-Friendly-Spaces.aspx

14
Step 1: Planning for CFS Yes No Action to be
Implementation taken
Child protection needs analysis is conducted
and provided to senior management.
Team conducted coordination meeting with

government, UN and INGOs to define priorities
and target locations.
Logistics and administration needs are defined

and addressed by SMT.
Step 2: Community Engagement & Mobilization

Community members are aware and
understand the function of the CFS, and have
been informed of the benefits and availability of
the safe space for children/youth.
Community members, including women

and children, are involved in determining site
location.
Parents and community members are involved

in activities/events/awareness at the CFS at least
once every 2 months.
Community members, caregivers and parents

are consulted on the CFS’s schedule and
activities that will be carried on inside CFSs.
Explain to community members that the

CFS will build on local resources including
recruiting from staff and volunteers from the
communities.
Ensure child participation in activity design,

site selection and in identifying child protection
needs in the community.

15
Step 2: Community Engagement Yes No Action to be
& Mobilization (cont.) taken
Community involvement should also be
encouraged through activities such as toy making
and inviting older mothers, grandmothers and
elders to the center to sing songs and tell stories
to young children.
Train community members on Safe Identification

and Referral of Child Protection Cases. Training
may include the following topics: child
development, children at risk, and referral
pathways available at the community level.
Step 3: Adolescent & Youth Participation and Protection

Youth are invited to offer supervised mentor
support for younger children as appropriate, and
are provided with guidance on mentorship.
Education materials are displayed and available

for youth to take away.
Confidential access to menstrual hygiene

products are available for adolescent girls.
Youth are trained in outreach to other youth in the

service area.
If space is for all ages, youth are provided specific

times and an activities schedule for their age
range. Consider age of adolescents and youth that
may access the space – early adolescence (10 to 14
years), middle adolescence (15 to 19 years), and late
adolescence (20 to 24 years) and adapt activities
and interventions as necessary.
Adolescents are educated by CFS staff, volunteers,

or others in the community on how to report child
protection concerns, problems, and violations
of their rights, in consideration of agency and
confidentiality needs depending on their age
group.

16
Step 4: CFS Structure and Safety Yes No Action to be
This section should be considered if a CFS structure will
be implemented during a recovery phase and/or in a taken
protracted emergency. CFS structures post-emergency
may be delivered through mobile activities, within
community space and/or tents.
Site selection is done in partnership with SMT and

community members. The team may consider
forming a committee from community leaders,
inclusive of women and children, for site selection.
The site selected adheres to Level 2 of the

“Infrastructure Standards”.
Site selection correlates to the daily routines of the

families and children.
Basic services such as transportation, electricity,

water, and sanitation are readily available.
Equipment (recreation/art kits/toys) is in good

condition, is culturally and age appropriate, and
can be securely stored when not in use.

There is a gender balance of CFS volunteers, and
volunteers are at least 18 years old.
The minimum caregiver to child ratio is 2:40 for

children under 12, and 2:60 for children over 12.
All staff and volunteers have signed the Code of

Conduct.
Staff have written agreements stating the hours

they agree to work and the salary/incentive they
will receive.
There is at least one volunteer responsible for

cleaning/maintenance and one volunteer actively
responsible for the safety and security of the CFS
and children during working hours .

17
Step 5: Staff Recruitment and Yes No Action to be
Capacity Building (cont.) taken
Records of all staff and volunteers are kept in an
organized manner.
All staff are subject to a background check.
Communities and organizations have agreed

upon a set of procedures for recruitment
(including background checks) and management
of volunteers.
There are at least two qualified, experienced staff/

volunteers at each CFS during open hours.
Staff are periodically reviewed, and training needs

for staff and volunteers are identified.
Clear grievance procedures are in place for staff

members and volunteers.
Step 6: Child Protection Programs Linked to CFS

The child and family-friendly version of the CFS
“Child Safeguarding Policy” is on display in the
CFS. It is also explained to families who are given a
•
hand-out. The policy should include:
Types of appropriate interactions with children
and the banning of any type of physical or
•
verbal abuse.
•
Local emergency number.
A reporting mechanism in case of any abuse.
Code of Conduct for staff and volunteers is on

display at the CFS and handed out to all staff/
volunteers.
Staff/volunteers are provided with referral

pathways to health, nutrition, education services,
and psychosocial support in the camp or
community.
Child protection messages are appropriate for

children and on display.

18
Step 6: Child Protection Yes No Action to be
Programs Linked to CFS (cont.) taken
Records of all referral forms and data sheets are
kept for at least 2 years.
All staff and volunteers are trained in recognizing

and reporting child protection cases.
All photos taken inside CFS require a consent

and/or an assent from children and parents,
in accordance with ChildFund Policies and
Procedures.
A basic gender audit or assessment has been

conducted to determine gender-specific needs
and considerations for the CFS.

The outreach program has conducted a
vulnerability analysis to understand children/youth
vulnerabilities in the community.
A detailed monthly outreach plan is available.
The outreach team has identified, and meets at

least monthly, with the most influential people in
the local community.
All children who participate in outreach activities

are recorded in a database and monitored on
monthly basis.

19
Step 8: Community-based Psychosocial Support (PSS) and
PSS activities
Refer to Childfund International’s Encricle Resources Hub for details on this section
Activity schedule is prepared in advance of use.
Activities are available at least two hours per day, three days per week.
The activities are diverse and suited to different ages, genders, and to children with disabilities.
Activities are fun and engaging and promote the right to play.
CFS coordinates with formal schools, complements them and does not compete with them.
There is parental involvement in the CFS, such as parenting support groups, parenting
information sessions or inter-generational activities.
There is community involvement in the CFS at least once every three months through open
days, events such as netball and football matches, parent committees, parent involvement in
life skills or cultural activities.
Step 9: Monitoring CFS Activites Yes No Action to be

taken
A record of the children (enrollment/registration
and daily attendance) is securely kept, including
the child’s point of origin, date of first-accessed
service, why they came to CFS (if possible),
primary caregiver/parent’s information, and
identification of any special needs.
Enrollment records of children should be updated

every 3 months and kept either electronically and/
or in hard copy files for at least 2 years. All files
need to be confidential and should not be shared
with any of the staff except the CFS manager. This
is in line with the Child Safeguarding Policy.
Weekly and monthly activity plans for different

age groups, and the responsible CFS volunteers
are displayed within the CFS. Records of activities
should also be kept.

20
STEP 2: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
AND MOBILIZATION
Community Engagement and Mobilization Child-Friendly Spaces

1
STEP 2: Community Engagement and
Mobilization
In This Section
Pg. 3 Guiding Note on How to Engage Community

Members
Guiding note with tips and strategies for engaging
community members.
Pg. 6 Community Mobilization in Emergencies

Guiding note on community mobilization for Child-Friendly
Spaces..
Pg. 9 Suggested Community Dialogue Script

Suggested script for communicating with community
members.
Pg. 11 Guiding Note on How to Engage Women

Guiding note with tips and strategies for engaging
community women.
Pg. 13 Guiding Note on How to Engage Youth

Guiding note with tips and strategies for engaging youth.
Community Engagement and Mobilization

2
Guiding Note on Community Mobilization
Each Child-Friendly Space (CFS) should be implemented through the
community’s own network, people, and resources, as an entry point to
prioritizing child protection risks within the community, and for sharing child
protection messages with communities, families, children and authorities.
AN IMPORTANT TIP!
In most communities, formal representatives and leaders are
usually men, therefore it is important to target efforts to engage
women and girls in consultations and decision-making processes,
after making necessary consultations with community opinion
leaders/gate keepers. This also applies to other vulnerable groups
within the community who may be marginalized, such as those
with disabilities or affected by HIV and AIDS.
Specifically, in a protracted crises including Internal Displacement (IDP)

movements, CFS implementation requires the understanding and consideration
of the political context, the addressed population, gender roles, community
dynamics, protection risks, concerns, and priorities. Utilizing a child protection
contextualized analysis, or ChildFund’s Community-Based Child Protection
(CPCB) Mapping in Emergencies, can provide a better understanding of the
child protection landscape from the communities and from the children
themselves.
Community Engagement
Community and
Engagement Mobilization
and Mobilization
3 3
What is community?
• Territorial unit of society such as a village, a town, a district, a city or
refugee/IDP camp.
• Unit of social organization which can be based around common interests

(i.e. the academic community), a shared living situation (i.e. a residential
home) or around a territorial unit (i.e. a village or district).
• Type of social interaction typically characterized by:

• A sense of belonging.
• A sense of purpose and common goals.
• A high degree of cooperation and participation in

pursuing common goals.
• An interpersonal climate characterized by mutual

respect, a sense of fraternity or fellowship.

4
Definition of Community Mobilization
• Community mobilization is a process whereby local groups are assisted in

clarifying and expressing their needs and objectives, and in taking collective
action directed at meeting them.
• It emphasizes the involvement of the people themselves in determining

and meeting their own needs. It is closely linked with the concepts of
participation and resilience.
Why do we need to work with communities?

• Widespread child protection issues in emergency, transition, and
development contexts – CFS mobilizes communities to act on these child
protection concerns.
• Inability or unwillingness of governments to protect children.
• Key element in national child protection systems.
• Community action on behalf of children is often more sustainable than

NGO-initiated activities.
Advantages of working with communities:

When a community is invited into CFS planning, implementation and
monitoring and evaluation (M&E), CFS programs:
• Are more relevant to those beneficiaries’ lives.
• Are more contextually appropriate.
• Are more sustainable.
• Can lead to greater mobilization of resources.
• Offer low-cost support for a large number of children.
• Can create preventative action for the future.

5
Community mobilization for CFS in emergencies
• The CFS is a tool used in emergencies to provide psychosocial support to
children and families.
• Communities are encouraged to facilitate and participate in different

activities such as:
• Sports
• Arts and crafts
• Singing and dancing, or other activities children enjoy
• Awareness raising

6
Key Actions
Pre-positioning:
• Be sensitive to local power structures, but ensure all groups
?
?
are represented, particularly the most marginalized.
? • Explain ChildFund’s overall mission, and the specific goals of

the CFS.
• Ensure that leaders fully understand and support a CFS in
?
their community.
? • Discuss potential mentorship opportunities with various

groups including men, women, youth and people with
disabilities.
• Identify qualified and willing volunteers and staff in the area.

• Make sure there are no imminent protection threats that
make it unsafe to set up a CFS.
Implementation:
• A CFS can play a vital role in connecting communities to available

services to support basic needs of children and families. Develop a
service map of basic needs including health, psychological first aid,
legal assistance, food distribution, and social programs such as cash
assistance.
• Ensure children’s participation in activity design, site selection and in

identifying child protection needs in the community.
• Establish complaint mechanisms to address potential abuse, and

raise awareness among community members on proper utilization.
• Encourage community involvement through activities such as toy

making and inviting older mothers, grandmothers and elders to the
CFS to sing songs and tell stories to young children.
• Build community ownership through in-kind donation of time and

services, such as the provision of manpower, building materials, etc.
• Train community members on Safe Identification and Referral of

child protection cases. Training may include the following topics:
child development, children at risk, and referral pathways available at
the community level.
7
CHECKLIST FOR MANAGING
COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS
□ Explain Childfund’s approach, programs and the

CFS concept.
□ Determine the human resources that are required.
□ Agree on the role of communtiy members in
establishing the CFS.
□ Identify the needs and priorities of children in this
community.
□ Seek consultation with invisible or marginalized
groups.
□ Support communities in accessing basic needs
and other services.
□ Encourage community ownership through in-kind
contributions
Input Indicator for Step 2 : Available Tools for Step 2:

• Number of community meetings • Suggested Community Dialogue
(segregated by age and gender) script
• Community Action Plan includes • Guidance on how to engage
Child Protection in Emergencies women
(CPiE) activities • Guidance on how to engage youth
• Number of sites assessed by
community members

8
Community Mobilization Tools
Suggested Community Dialogue Script:
1. Introduce the team members attending the meeting. The meeting should be
conducted in the local language.
2. Introduce ChildFund, and briefly describe it’s history in the area: “ChildFund
is an international NGO working in the area for ___ years; and working with
_____________(mention Local Partner) for ___ years within the community.”
3. Explain ChildFund’s mission: “ChildFund is a child-focused agency that works

together with children and families to create programs that help children
grow up well, even in difficult circumstances.”
4. If there are other ongoing ChildFund programs in the area, describe them.
5. Introduce the CFS intervention: “Here in ___________ (local community),

ChildFund is implementing these Child-Friendly Spaces to help children,
youth and mothers with young children following the emergency.”
6. Describe similar past interventions in which ChildFund has implemented

CFSs: “In other emergencies (mention ones that are similar to the local
emergency), ChildFund has learned the value of helping communities
organize Child-Friendly Spaces to support children who have been affected by
the emergency.”
7. Explain how the CFSs are administered: “Child-Friendly Spaces are run
by the community, with assistance from ChildFund. ChildFund will work
with communities and other local agencies to provide essential materials
for establishing Child-Friendly Spaces and other basic materials, such as
school supplies, toys and games, and soccer balls. ChildFund will also help
the community liaise with other international agencies in the area for larger
items.”
8. If food distribution or non-food items are part of ChildFund’s emergency

intervention in this area, please mention it at this point.
9. Discuss other ways the community is involved including providing volunteers

and in-kind contributions: “The community also provides material and human
resource support for the Child-Friendly Spaces, including adults to provide the
child-focused activities to support and maintain the Child-Friendly Spaces.”

9
10. The Child-Friendly Spaces implementation is dependent upon the
cooperation and acceptance of the community.
11. After the ChildFund team has explained the above points, respond to any
questions from the community leaders. If the community leaders agree to the
CFS, ask for permission to talk with smaller groups of youth, women and men
at that time.
12. Ideally, the community will be enthusiastic and willing to contribute space
(homes, mosques, churches, etc.), time, and other necessary resources.
Qualified individuals, including women, who are literate, experienced and
knowledgeable about girls’ issues, are needed to work in the CFSs.

10
Guiding Note on Mobilizing Women
Key principles:
• Women have a right to be consulted and involved in decisions that affect them
and their family. Sensitive efforts should always be made to advocate for the
inclusion of women in community mobilization.
• It is particularly important to mobilize women in child protection because of

their role in families, the contributions they can make and, in some cultures, their
marginalization.
• Mobilizing women presents many challenges related to women’s roles and their
life circumstances. Therefore, specific efforts may be required to ensure their
mobilization.
• The mobilization of women may require the development of parallel women’s

structures.
• There are many strategies for approaching the social mobilization of women and
the choice of strategy will be very situation dependent.
Strategies for involving women in CFS activities

1. Actively recruit female staff and volunteers.
2. Create/promote work opportunities for women.
3. Promote capacity-building initiatives to build their skills in facilitation and

leadership.
4. Involve women in designing and creating appropriate, locally-made toys

and games for the younger children to use in the CFS.

11
When deciding how to mobilize women,
consider the following questions:
• What do you need to know about the attitude of

male members toward women in the community?
• Who will you initially contact who can provide

information about where other women can be
found? Where else can you look?
• What kind of criteria should be used when

deciding whether to support or work with partners,
organizations or associations or groups of women?
?
?
? • Are there women, perhaps marginalized, who you
might want to prioritize mobilizing?
• What are some of the major issues affecting

women from the community perspective?
? ? • How will you build trusting relationships with

women you would like to work with?
• How will you communicate your initial messages?
• What will be said in such communication? What

are some concerns you should consider?
• Once you have stimulated some initial interest, how

will you engage women to begin the process of
working with the CFS?
• What kind of participatory tools will you use, with

whom, when?

12
Guiding Note on Mobilizing Youth
Key principles:
• Children who are capable of forming their own views have the right to
express those views freely in all matters affecting them; their views are
to be given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity (CRC
Article 12).
• The mobilization (or participation) of children among populations affected

by emergencies will result in better protection initiatives; in addition,
the children involved are likely to experience increased well-being and
resilience.
• Youth mobilization is important where there is a lack of educational and

economic opportunity, which can result in boredom, despondency and
loss of self-esteem.
• Children can make a significant contribution to their own protection and

that of others before, during and after emergencies, and can play a vital
role in post-conflict reconstruction and in the rebuilding of peaceful, more
tolerant communities.
• Organizations can support and promote youth mobilization by developing

a strategic approach, using age-appropriate participatory techniques, and
building and developing capacity.
• Youth mobilization encourages innovation and leadership, which supports

their ability to prevent and respond to harm against their peers.

13
Strategies for involving children and
youth in CFS activities
1. Identify leaders and mentors for the CFSs.
2. Communicate key information to community members.
3. Provide support and care for younger children.
4. Engage and support child-to-child/peer education.
5. Identify risks in the community that ChildFund or local

authorities can address.
6. Design and create appropriate, locally-made toys and games

for the younger children to use in CFS.
*All photos by Jake Lyell

14
When deciding how to mobilize youth,
consider the following questions:
• What do you want to know about the attitude of

adults toward youth in the community?
• Who will you initially contact who can provide

information about where other young people, perhaps
marginalized, can be found? Where else can you look?
• What kind of criteria should be used when

deciding whether to support or work with partners,
organizations or associations, or groups of young
people?
?
?
• Are there children or youth whom you might want
? to prioritize mobilizing (consider involving different
demographic groups, particularly those who may be
marginalized, i.e. different ethnicities, religious faiths,
IDPs vs. host community, disabled, unaccompanied
? ?
children, child-headed households, LGBTI, HIV-positive,
etc.)?
• From the community perspective, what are some of

the major issues affecting children and youth?
• How will you build trusting relationships with children

and youth with whom you would like to work?
• How will you communicate your initial messages?
• What will be said in such communication? What are

some concerns you should consider?
• How will you engage youth in order to begin the

process of working with them once you have
stimulated some initial interest? What kind of
participatory tools will you use, with whom, when?

15
STEP 3: CHILD-FRIENDLY SPACES’
STRUCTURE AND SAFETY

1
STEP 3: CFS Structure and Safety
In This Section
Pg. 3 Guiding note on CFS structure and safety

Guiding note with tips and activities to consider for CFS
structure and safety.
Pg. 6 Infrastructure Standards

A matrix of standards for CFS infrastructure. The infrastructure
and design of each CFS should meet Level 2. If not, staff is
advised to note the reason in the ‘note for the record’ section
as part of CFS documentation.
Pg. 8 List of materials required for CFS implementation

A list of materials and kits for running CFS activities.
Pg. 17 Do’s and Don’ts of CFS

A list of activities that is useful for managers to monitor the
CFS quality on a day-to-day basis.

2
Guiding note on setting-up a “Safe Space”
ChildFund staff and implementing

SITE SELECTION OPTIONS partners (IPs) should avoid
constructing new buildings for Child-
□ Open space Friendly Spaces (CFSs). A major goal
of the CFS is for it to be owned by the
□ Community center community. Therefore, it is preferable
to set up the CFS in a community-
□ Existing, unused community owned location.
structures
□ Churches, mosques, temples and Involving community members in

the site selection is a key component
other religious places for a successful CFS implementation.
□ Community members’ homes They should also be encouraged to
give feedback on activity design,
□ Any structure provided by community and safely identify and refer at-
risk children to the CFS and child
protection (CP) services.

3
Key Actions
Pre-positioning:
• Carry out an assessment together with the community to decide if a CFS is

needed, and if it will be safe, accessible and contextually appropriate for all
children nearby.
• Before deciding to set up a CFS, decide whether a new structure is needed at all.
Priority should be given to areas that do not have CP or education services for
children already established.
• Map the existing facilities and infrastructure, including schools and community
centers.
• The CFS site should not be close to a conflict or disaster-effected area.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
1. Physically secure space, free from landmines or hazardous
debris.
2. Accessible to children–a reasonable walking distance.
3. Adequate latrine and handwashing facilities.
4. Not a likely place for child soldier recruitment or exposure to
other protection threats.
5. Neutral ground in conflict situations.
• Identify within the community available resources (for materials and activities),
and people who could take part in running a CFS.
• CFSs should be fun and should promote the right to play. Initially, CFSs should
focus on basic play and recreation activities and build from there.
• Coordinate with formal schools to make sure that CFSs do not compete with
them, but rather complement them. As schools re-open, ensure that there are
time slots for different age groups of children to utilize the CFS.
• Consider training local community members, youth and other human resources
in identifying disaster-prone communities prior to any emergency.

4
Response:
• Train CP staff, relevant government counterparts and community volunteers
on CFS guidelines.
• The psychosocial well-being of parents is important for children’s care and

protection. Consider scheduling parent support groups within the CFS.
• Anticipate children’s needs when setting the CFS schedule. For example,
working children may only be able to attend in the afternoon.
• Follow-up training is critical for deepening staff knowledge and addressing

shifting priorities in the program. Ensure that staff and volunteers are trained
on a quarterly basis on different topics, and/or offer refresher sessions.
• The CFS should work to build and utilize local professional resources within
the community. Therefore, it is important to extend the training to other

5
Infrastructure and Safety Tools for Use
General Infrastructure Standards
To ensure that each CFS offers a secure and safe environment for children,
it should be built on existing structures and capacities within a community.
To the maximum extent possible, the design of the CFS should be done in a
participatory manner, and the infrastructure and design of each CFS should
be guided by the following standards. Level 2 (highlighted) is the minimum
standard that CFSs should meet. If the location and physical environment does
not permit meeting Level 2, it is advisable to note the reason in the “Note for
the Record” as part of CFS documentation.
Standard Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Definition
Ventilation No or only One door and Two doors Any of the
(12 M2 the size of one window more than and more above with AC
the room) two windows than two or ventilation
windows system
Sanitation No or only Multiple and Separate One latrine/30

facilities one latrine in separate latrines for F, One
the building latrines for boys and latrine/60 M,
Sphere or premise boys and girls girls, and 3 L water per
standards facility for child; 1 hand
people with washing
One latrine per disabilities station
30 F per facility;
disabled
One latrine per access
60 M
3 L water per
child
Water facilities No water Water Multiple Multiple water

facility in the facility in water facilities with
building or the building facilities and hand washing
premise or premise drinking soap, and
and drinking water in the drinking water
water building or in the building
available premise or premise

6
Definition
Size of covered area Area can Area can Area can Area can hold
committed to CFS hold 19 hold more hold more more than
Sphere standards children than 20 than 20 20 children
without children children with with desks
6.2 M X 5.75 M per child desks and without desks and and chairs,
chairs desks and chairs and space for
chairs activities
Safe and secure No fence Fence Fence, more Fence, multiple

enclosed than one gates and one
on all sides, gate and one guard per gate
more than guard
one gate
and no
guard
Special Classroom One One Two classrooms

accommodations for all classroom classroom per gender +
genders with per gender + per gender Admin+ activity
one admin Admin + Admin+ room + teachers
room activity room room separate,
+ teachers wash units and
room with play areas +
shared wash kitchen facilities
units
First-aid kits One kit in Two All staff first- Clinic

the admin advanced aid certified,
office first-aid staff advanced
and one kit first-aid kit
per facility and one add’l
kit per room
Fire extinguishers One per One per One per One per
facility facility and room, two room and fire
all staff exit doors, fight system/
trained/ all staff contingency,
contingency trained, two exit doors,
plan in place children all staff trained,
trained children trained

7
Child-Friendly Spaces List of Materials
When setting up a CFS, careful selection
of materials and supplies is required. The NOTE
following are the prepositioned support The quality of each item
tool kits for emergency responses. All will be dependent on
materials should be purchased locally. resources available.
Tool Box No. 1: Recreation Kits

Children are organized into three age groups: 0-5 years old; 6-12 years old and 13-
24 years old. It is important that age and culture are considered when selecting
toys and materials, as well as their appropriateness for children with disabilities.
Think also of the hygiene aspects of the materials.
Required supplies Description No. of

supplies
White board Large size (not for individual use), non- 1
toxic pens and erasers (and an extra box
for markers)
Floor mat with Polyester, studding and bright colors 4

ChildFund and IP’s logos
Stand with different For very young children 5

colored rings
Toys Soft, plastic and make sounds 10
Building blocks (wooden Big pieces, suitable for very young 5 pails
not plastic, preferably) children
Soft, cushioned balls Soft, small, varied colors for young children 10
Hand puppets Different types 10
Musical Instruments Guitar, drum and others (indigenous, if 10

available)

8
Tool Box No. 2: Games Kit
Games help children relieve stress and pressure. Games that involve teams
build cooperation and bonding by encouraging children to play together.
Manipulative games, like puzzles, improve problem-solving. A range of
equipment, which appeals to both boys and girls and children with disabilities,
is important.
Required Description No. of

supplies supplies
Basketball Adult size and light 2
Soccer ball (Football) Adult size and light 2
Pump Small iron needle to pump basketballs and 1

soccer balls
Whistle Iron 2
Jump rope Sturdy, no extra features 10
Box of board games Chess, Scrabble, dominos, Chinese 10 sets

checkers, and Snake and Ladders, etc.
Puzzles Puzzles with different numbers of pieces 10

(all should be 100 pieces or less)
CD and CD player Games and songs 1
Sidewalk chalk Large pieces of white and colored chalk (for 10 boxes
floor drawings)

9
Tool Box No. 3: Art Kits
Aside from being fun and enjoyable, creative activities such as painting, clay
modeling, paper folding and drawing, enable children to create something from
their experiences. This can help children to express and cope with their feelings.
A child’s creative activity can also help the facilitators to learn more about what
the child maybe thinking or feeling, which offers an opportunity to focus on each
child.
Required Description No. of

supplies supplies
Pencil cases Simple pencil case 50 Cases
Pencils Good quality 250
Pencil sharpener Good quality 50
Erasers Practical shapes 100
Colored pencils Box of multiple colored pencils 50 boxes
Drawing Pads Plain white paper; sizes 14-28 cms 100
Adhesive tape Scotch tape brand 150
Glue sticks Washable, non-toxic, big size (solid 100

adhesive, in twist or push-up)
Coloring paper and art Assorted 100

papers
Modeling clay Box of different colors, non-toxic 150
Scissors Child-friendly, different sized 50/size
Coloring brushes 3 different sizes (S,M,L) 50
Crayons Pastel colors 64

10
Tool Box No. 4: Booklets (10 sets)
The availability of child-friendly and age-appropriate reading materials support
the informal teaching and life skills activities at the CFS. A good, eye-catching and
easy to understand (preferably in the dialect) list of books stimulate the interest
of children to read. Reading a book or telling a story relevant to the children’s
experiences can relieve anxiety and help children cope.
Look Online!
There are wonderful free books that can be printed
from the internet. If you are working in Africa,
www.africanstorybook.org has books for all ages in
many African languages. Another general resource is
http://en.childrenslibrary.org/.

11
Tool Box No. 5: Toys
It is good to have an array of toys that are safe and developmentally appropriate.
Toys that promote violence, racial discrimination or gender stereotypes are not
recommended.
Required supplies No.

Required
Alphabet blocks 9
Balls (4 different sizes) 9
Doctor’s set (plastic bag) 10
Good quality plastic or rubber dolls (male and female) 9
Flashcards (alphabet and number) 9
Kitchen set 9
Magnetic alphabet (capital and lower case) 8
Magnetic board 9
Number blocks 9
Plastic farm animals 8
Table blocks (different shapes) 9
Tea set 9
Tools set 10
Wooden smiley clock 9
Wood parquet puzzle (triangular shape) 9

12
Tool Box No. 6: Hygiene, Security and Safety Materials
Sanitation is important to promote good health and prevent disease. This list
covers different types of sanitation, such as basic sanitation (access to a toilet or
latrine), food sanitation (ensuring food safety) and on-site sanitation (keeping the
site clean and toys washed and sanitized). (*All highlighted items are to be added
to the Emergency Response Week 1 Box for immediate deployment. See Tool
Box No. 9 below*)
Hygiene Security and Safety Administration

supplies Materials Supplies
1. Trash cans/bags CFS Tent with ChildFund logo Stackable plastic
containers for storing
CFS kits (12 total)
2. Toilet paper First-aid kits (see attached) Clipboards
3. Hand sanitizer, Flashlights and batteries Attendance/registration

alcohol forms/FTR forms
4. Hygiene wipes “Slow Down, Children at Play” Monitoring and referral

signs forms
5. Soap Fire extinguisher (within the Plastic ID bracelets and

area) jackets
6. Sponges Rubber gloves Permanent marker
7. Mop Whistles for children Electric tape
8. Bucket and dipper Emergency contact numbers list ChildFund CFS T-shirts
(green)
9. Hand towels Psychosocial modules

scissors
10. Basin for washing Name tags (for children

toys and volunteers)

13
Hygiene supplies Security and Safety Administration
Materials Supplies
11. Disinfectant spray Stapler and staples
12. Cleaning cloth Pens
13. Pencils
Tool Box No. 7: First Aid Kit

First-aid training should be given to the CFS implementers as part of the CFS
training package, and no one should distribute or use first-aid contents without
proper training. Clear guidelines on what to do in the event of an emergency
should be posted in the area.
Required supplies No. Required

Handy ER bag or box for kit storage 1
Adhesive bandages (BandAids) 1 box of 25
Sterile eye pads 2
Triangular bandage 1
Safety pins 12
Sterile gauze pads 5
Adhesive tape rolls, 1.25 cm wide (preferably microspore tape) 2
Crepe bandages 2
Cotton wool 1 pkg
Sharp scissors 1

14
Disposable gloves 3 pair
Adhesive bandages in variety of sizes 1 box
Alcohol swab swipes 1 box
Sterile eyewash solution bottles 2 (small)
Thermometer 1
Calamine lotion 1 bottle
Hydrocortisone cream (1 ½) 1
Elastic bandage 1
Thermometer 1
Antiseptic solution (Bactine or Dettol) 1 bottle
Antiseptic wipes 1 pkg
Soap 1 bottle
List of emergency contact numbers 1

15
Tool Box No. 8: Teaching Kit

Set of psychosocial modules 1
Log book 1
Pen 1
Pencils 1 box
Marker 1
Coupon bonds 1 box
Writing pad 1
Stapler and wires 1
Clipboard 1
Scissors 1
Colored paper 1 pkg
Hole puncher 1
Paper clips 1 box
Sets of flipchart papers 1
Large storage box for keeping all basic supplies 1
***All highlighted items are to be added to the ER Week 1 Box for immediate
deployment***

16
Do’s and Don’ts of Child-Friendly Spaces
At each Child-Friendly Space (CFS), DO:
Daily Activities
• Arrive at the CFS area before the children are scheduled to be there.
• Keep the CFS clean.
• Make sure the CFS and surrounding areas are safe and clear of hazardous
materials such as rubble, loose wires, broken concrete, glass and rusty metal.
• Make sure the latrines are clean and that there is adequate water for personal
hygiene.
• Make sure there is an adequate supply of safe drinking water available.
• Register any new children who come to the CFS.
• Encourage children to use the latrines.
• Make sure children wash their hands with soap and water after using the
latrines and before any food is eaten.
• Provide activities that engage ALL children as active participants.
• Engage children to help to set up activities and keep the area clean.
• Provide activities that are attractive (and culturally sensitive, where

appropriate) for girls and boys of all ages.
• Choose activities that are familiar to the children.
• Encourage children’s participation by asking for their ideas or preferred

activities, particularly the adolescents in the group.
• Ensure that activities flow smoothly from simple to more complicated.
• Encourage children to assist in organizing activities, but do not force them to

do so.
• Listen to children’s opinions and concerns, and treat them with respect.
• Be sensitive to children who are upset or withdrawn.
• Engage parents, caregivers and older persons to participate or render

volunteer services.

17
Do’s for CFS Operations and Planning
• Have a first-aid kit available, and know how to treat minor injuries.
• Obey the CFS Code of Conduct/Child Protection Policy.
• Complete the daily forms (including the activity record of numbers of children by
age, sex) and the record of daily issues and concerns.
• Ask children for suggestions of activities they would like to do in the coming
week.
• Plan activities for the coming week with a variety of programs and activities for
each age group.
• Post the activity schedule at the beginning of each week so children know what
to expect.
• Identify children who are malnourished, who face health or psychosocial risk, or
those with child protection issues, and report to the CFS supervisor.
• Attend scheduled CFS meetings or other related activities that may be assigned.
• Make sure that the CFS is operating during suitable times for working children
and other vulnerable groups.
At each CFS, DO NOT:

• Leave children unsupervised.
• Allow unknown individuals or agencies outside the CFS or community to work

with or talk to the children without first obtaining permission from the CFS staff.
• Impose religious activities that are not consistent with the children’s culture/
practice.
• Hit children or use any kind of corporal punishment (e.g. threaten children with
the use of a stick).
• Humiliate or verbally abuse children.
• Discriminate against children of different racial, ethnic, political or social groups,

or those with disabilities.
• Engage in activities that may do harm (e.g. engaging in discussions about

upsetting events where you do not have the skills to respond to the outcomes).

18
STEP 4: STAFF RECRUITMENT AND
CAPACITY BUILDING
Staff recruitment and capacity building

1
Step 4: Staff Recruitment and
Capacity Building
In This Section
Pg. 3 Guiding note on staff recruitment and capacity

building
Key considerations for staff recruitment, suggested staff
structure and capacity building plan.
Job descriptions and interview questions

Pg. 7 Detailed staff member job descriptions to be adopted and
advertised in the field.
Staff code of conduct

Pg. 12 All volunteers and staff working in the CFS should understand
and agree upon certain rules and regulations, and each CFS
should develop a code of conduct based on these guidelines.

2
Guiding note on staff recruitment and
capacity building
Child protection considerations are crucial in recruiting and selecting people

to work in Child-Friendly Spaces (CFSs). All potential staff, facilitators and
volunteers must be screened to ensure children’s safety. In an emergency,
the demand for qualified staff, especially local staff, will be very high. In many
cases, it will be necessary to quickly recruit eligible persons and to provide an
initial brief training for various roles and responsibilities.

3
The following factors should be considered when identifying and selecting
local staff:
• Select highly motivated individuals.

• Consider the gender composition of staff.
• Consider the candidate’s prior experience in working with children.
• Target capable local community members, such as teachers, who have
experience working with children.
• Ensure that the candidate understands and supports the concept of child
participation.
• Make sure the prospective staff members do not have other commitments
and have available time.
• Consider staff with previous training in relevant sectors and other skills for
working with children.
• If using external staff, consider the balance between them and community
members.
*Note: Educational background should not be the sole criteria; communication

skills and personality are important.

4
CFS management and implementation roles may be
arranged as follows:
Child-Friendly Spaces Coordinator: ensures proper CFS

implementation.
Child-Friendly Spaces Monitor: manages the day-to-day

operations and ensures activities are properly implemented and
children are properly cared for. One monitor will be assigned to
each CFS.
Child-Friendly Spaces Facilitator: implements planned activities

to create a structured, safe learning environment that contributes
to children’s emotional security and positive cognitive and
physical development.
Monitoring Coordinator: sets up and manages ongoing data

collection such as attendance, referral and activity outlines, enters
and then produces reports for review by the program team.

5
Capacity Building
Capacity building is extremely important, and staff need to understand the ethos
of CFSs as modes of support. Local teachers may or may not be appropriate as CFS
facilitators, depending on their teaching style (very traditional teaching styles may
not be conducive to the outcomes CFSs aim to generate).
Capacity building activities are divided into two phases. Phase I focuses on the CFS
management including a full understanding of Child Protection in Emergencies
(CPiE) and risks. Phase II focuses on training facilitators in child well-being and
structured psychosocial activities. Teams may resort to external consultants
for support with the psychosocial support (PSS) package. A 5-day training for
facilitators should focus on recreational activities, PSS and parents and community
activities and engagement.
Capacity building for CFS staff

Suggested topics
• Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE)

• Child Safeguarding and Code of Conduct
• Communicating with children (listening & observation skills)
Phase I • How to run a CFS (step-by-step procedures in setting
and implementing a CFS, different kinds of play, activity
planning)
• Psychological first-aid (PFA)
During the first three weeks of CFS implementation, the following schedule,
broken down by team member role, may be used as a guideline:
Monitors Facilitators Volunteers

• How to run a CFS • CPiE • CPiE
• Child safeguarding • Child safeguarding • Facilitation skills
• Safe identification/ • PFA/PSS • PFA/PSS
referral • Facilitators • PSS and activities
• PSS and activities • Safe identification/
• Safe identification/referral referral

6
Child-Friendly Spaces staff and job
descriptions
Job Description
Child-Friendly Spaces Coordinator:

Ensures the proper implementation of the CFS project.
• Supervise facilitators in one or several CFS locations.

• Provide training and orientation for CFS monitors and
Facilitators on setting up and managing a CFS, child
rights, child participation, child protection (including the
Child Protection Policy), and provide on-going support
and mentoring to practice these concepts.
• Ensure that safeguarding standards are understood and
met.
• Compile quantitative and qualitative updated data and
reports.
Roles and • Ensure effective links are developed with camp services
responsibilities and/or other emergency initiatives.
• Work with the community and/or camp authorities to
address protection issues.
• Ensure referral systems (e.g. health, education,
psychosocial, income generation, food security, etc.) are
identified as appropriate.
• Screen for and monitor protection needs and gaps in and
around the CFS.
• Ensure that missing children are followed up and that
regular meetings occur between CFS and communities.
Staff
Planning
recruitment
for Child-Friendly
and capacitySpaces
building
7
Job Description
Child-Friendly Spaces Monitor:
Manages the day-to-day CFS operations, ensures that activities are properly
implemented and that children are properly cared for.
• Ensure accurate attendance is taken on a daily basis.

• Ensure that equipment inventories are up to date and that
replacement needs are highlighted.
• Assist the facilitators in solving problems arising in the
CFS.
• Work with CFS facilitators to establish weekly activity
schedule.
• Assist the facilitators in working with children to develop
new, creative activities, as appropriate.
• Ensure the participation of all groups of children,
especially the most vulnerable, including girls, minorities
and those with disabilities.
• Assist the facilitators in conducting parent and
community meetings.
Roles and • Ensure that health and safety regulations are understood,
responsibilities followed, and that health and safety incidents are
recorded.
• Ensure that all games and equipment are accounted for
and stored securely at the end of the day.
• Conduct a visual assessment of the children every day
to check for possible protection concerns and/or identify
children who are malnourished, or who have health or
psychosocial risks. When necessary, report to supervisor.
• Ensure that water is delivered regularly, that there is
enough for all children attending, and that it is safe to
drink.
• Promote equal participation by boys and girls; as well as
the participation of excluded children, including girls,
minorities and those with disabilities.

8
Job Description
Child-Friendly Spaces Facilitator:
Implement structured activities at the CFS to create a learning environment that
provides structure and safety, and contributes to children’s emotional security and
positive cognitive and physical development.
• Supervise and support children’s play activities from 8 to 11

a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., 5 days/week including Fridays.
• Ensure a variety of structured games and activities within
the CFS, catering to the needs of children of different
ages, genders and abilities.
• A daily/weekly activity schedule should include free time,
recreation, expressive activities like drama, drawing and
time for small group/large group activities.
• Morning activities should be conducted for pre-school
children aged 3 to 6.
• Afternoon activities should be designed for participation
of children aged 6 to 12 and 13 to 18.
Roles and • Plan activities for the coming week with a variety of
responsibilities programs and activities for each age group that engage
girls’ active participation.
• Post the activity schedule at the beginning of each week
so children know what to expect.
• Ensure a safe and child-friendly atmosphere within the
CFS, and that no physical discipline or fighting occurs.
• Follow up with children who are not coming to sessions.
• Ensure that children have regular breaks so they can drink
water and go to the toilet.
• Liaise with parents and the community regularly to keep
them informed of any developments or problems within
the CFS and surrounding areas.

9
Job Description
Monitoring Coordinator:
Sets up and manages ongoing monitoring activities. This job may not be full time,
and the person could spend 50% of their time coordinating the monitoring of another
program, such as WASH or specialized PSS.
• Ensure all staff know how to fill in ongoing monitoring

tools correctly.
• Distribute ongoing monitoring tools and collect them
once a month.
• Enter data from monitoring tools into Excel.
• Produce regular reports on data for CFS team to review
Roles and progress.
responsibilities • Ensure that registration and referral paper data is kept
securely in a locked cabinet and that digital data is
password protected.
• Arrange regular (at least every six months) quality data
monitoring by the CFS coordinator. Enter and report on
this data to the CFS coordinator.

10
Guiding interview questions for recruiting volunteers
Depending on the situation, the interviews with potential volunteers could be

either one-on-one or in small groups. The following are examples of interview
questions:
1. Why do you want to work in the Child-Friendly Space?
2. What are your expectations?
3. What do children in the community need?
4. What are the dangers facing children?
5. What do children do in the community?
6. What is your experience working with children?
7. Why do you want to work with children?
8. What would you like to share with children?
9. What should children do at the CFS?
10. What are some things that are inappropriate to do with children?
11. What would your rules be?
12. How do you think children should participate?
13. What do you think the goal of the CFS should be?
14. How will you know if the CFS is successful?
15. What are some difficulties that you expect? How will you react?

11
Code of Conduct for Staff and Volunteers
All volunteers and staff working in the CFS should understand and agree upon
certain rules and regulations. [The list below may be used as guidelines for
developing or modifying a Code of Conduct accordingly.]
Volunteers and staff should:
1. Never ask for or accept personal favors in exchange for services or materials supplied by the
project. These favors refer to sexual contact, labor, goods and/or other services.
2. Never ask for or accept personal favors in exchange for allowing someone to participate in
program activities and/or access services.
3. Never have sexual contact with anyone under the age of 18 years regardless of who initiates
the contact.
4. Never sexually or physically harass other staff, volunteers and/or partners.
5. Never have sexual contact with young participants from the non-formal/formal schools,
affiliated centers or the community at large.
6. Never make sexual advances towards young participants.
7. Never beat, hit or slap or use any other form of physical punishment with participants.
8. Never verbally or physically harass participants.
9. Never make vulgar, discriminating or humiliating jokes or comments at participants, other

volunteers or staff.
10. Never ask for or accept labor provided by students outside of the school. This means that
students should never work for the personal benefit of volunteers.
11. Never use program supplies or materials for personal benefit outside of regularly planned
activities.
12. Never limit someone’s access to program supplies or activities because of personal feelings
or dislikes. There should be no discrimination. Everyone should have access to program
activities regardless of your own personal opinions.
I, ____________________________________, understand and will follow all of the rules

stated above.
Signature _____________________________
Date _________________________________

12
STEP 5: CHILD PROTECTION
PROGRAMS LINKED TO CFS
Child Protection Program Linked to CFS

1 Child-Friendly Spaces
STEP 5: Child Protection Programs
Linked to CFS
In This Section
Pg. 3 Implementing a child protection (CP) program

linked to CFS
A list of pre-positioning and implementation activities to be
considered in CFS planning.
Pg. 6 Essential services that are linked to CP

A list of key services to be mapped and identified as part of
CFS.
Pg. 8 Communication guidelines for safe identification

and referral
Communication guidelines for identifying and referring CP
cases.
Pg. 9 Risk assessment guide for CP cases

A general guide to support teams for CP risk assessment, with
suggested interventions and immediate actions to take.
Risk categorization criteria to support community

Pg. 11
volunteers in safely identifying and referring CP
cases
This tool is provided to volunteers to assist in determining
which cases/CP situations are to be referred to the case worker
immediately.

Child protection and strengthening
referral mechanism
During and after an emergency, Child-Friendly Spaces (CFSs) are an important
entry point for at-risk children and families to access child protection (CP)
services. The CFS can link children and their families to appropriate services
focusing primarily on meeting their health, safety, psychosocial, and legal needs
through referrals to specialized services. It is important to highlight that a CFS
should not offer case management services.
CFS staff should only refer a child when actual or potential abuse or neglect is
identified, and then follow up on the quality of services only.
Immediate needs of at-risk children may include:
• Safety: Some children may be in need of an immediate safety plan to extract

them from unsafe environments where they are exposed to abuse. This
can happen through arranging for interim care in a shelter through a case
management service. The staff working in the CFS should coordinate the
efforts but should not be responsible for a child’s removal.
• Health: in case of severe physical abuse, children might need first aid. A
referral to a specialized health service might also be required. In cases of
sexual abuse, the child should be immediately referred to case management
services and legal authority.

Child Protection Program Linked to CFS Child-Friendly Spaces
3
3
Key Actions
Preparedness
• Develop a CP Services referral map for your community or nearby communities.
CP services include, but are not limited to: legal services, medical examinations
for sexual abuse cases, safe houses or temporary shelters, governmental social
workers, and specialized psychosocial support.
• Build community members’ capacities on identifying CP cases and develop

referral pathways with them. The pathways may include community leaders’
arbitration or other local methods. All methods are accepted if they are in line
with child rights and the best interest of the child principle. The community-
based CP mapping, or any contextualized analysis, can help to identify key entry
points/natural mechanisms that can support CP.
• Raise awareness among community members on agreed upon referral

pathways and reporting channels.
• Build CFS staff capacity on safe identification and referral of CP cases, as well as
case management service criteria1 for effective referral and response to cases
reported.
Response:
•All CFS staff should be familiar with risk categorization criteria, explained
in detail in this chapter, to determine whether children should receive case
management services or not. Children who do not meet the criteria can be
referred to service providers who are trained to address their needs.
• All CFS staff should be careful not to make promises during the initial stage of
reporting abuse, and to treat the child (and their family) with respect, care and
empathy.
• A clear reporting and interview flow process needs to be set and in place, and
CFS staff trained accordingly.
• Any case should be immediately referred to a specialized person for

interviewing. A CP officer appointed in the CFS and/or the CFS manager are the
only authorized people who can interview a child who has reported abuse.
• During the interview process of child abuse cases, the CP officer must request
the child’s (and their parent’s or caregiver’s) permission to provide services and
provide them with enough information to make an informed decision.

Available Tools for Child Protection
• Essential services linked to CP intervention
• Communication Guidelines for Safe Identification and Referral
• Risk Assessment Guide
• Tool on risk categorization criteria

Essential services linked to Child Protection
To support teams in developing referral pathways for essential services
linked to CP programming, the following list may be used as a guide.
Specialized Psychosocial
Psychosocial support is any type of local or outside support that
aims to protect or promote psychosocial well-being. Specialized
services are only used in very severe cases; children usually recover
from traumatic events and rarely need specialized services. If
needed, specialized services include a number of psychiatrists who
can support children’s needs.
Shelter
The emergency shelter is a service offered to children whose initial
intake assessment indicates that s/he is unsafe to stay in their
home. It is important to clarify that the shelter is NOT an alternative
care arrangement but rather a temporary solution for children who
are in need of immediate care and protection, while longer-term
care is identified. Children should be admitted to interim care in
our shelter or partner shelters if they meet the following criteria:
• Categorized as high-risk case
• Primary caregiver (legal guardian) is not available and will need
time to identify secondary care giver
• Primary caregiver (legal guardian) advises to keep the child
away from home for safety reasons
• Primary caregiver is the alleged perpetrator
The decision to place a child in a shelter should be agreed upon with the local legal
authorities, social services, police, or community-based CP structures. If there is
no legal authority mandated; the decision should also be approved by the legal
guardian. In case the primary caregiver is absent, an active search for a secondary
caregiver (or relatives) should be pursued from the very beginning. The maximum
stay in the shelter should not exceed 12 weeks.

Medical Services
In general, the CFS is not expected to provide complex medical
services itself, instead, the CFS should work to establish strong
referral pathways with specialized medical service providers. The
CFS can provide first aid when necessary until a referral is made.
Legal Services
Legal services include legal counseling and legal aid services offered
by trained lawyers to children who wish to pursue legal action. CFS
staff should never pressure a child or caregiver to take a legal route
and should always respect their wishes. If the caregivers decide
that they want to take legal actions, a lawyer should come in to
explain the legal process and walk with them through the possible
scenarios that can happen.
*Important Note: In case of rape or sexual

assault, children should be immediately
referred to specialized services for examination.
If there are no trained service providers, contact
UNFPA for guidance.
Cash Assistance Services

Under very specific circumstances, a child and his/her primary
caregiver may be in need of life-saving cash assistance for a
temporary basis. The CFS can provide this service, however, it is
advisable that CFS has a partnership with an organization that is
specialized in cash assistance services. Financial assistance can have
different forms:
• In-kind assistance for clothing, transportation, medical supplies,

rent
• Restricted cash for the above reasons
• Unrestricted cash (each CFS should include limits)

Communication guidelines for safe
identification and referral
• Direct Observation: Directly observing the child and the caregiver helps
the CP officer make initial decisions about how to explain services based on
the child’s age and caregiver situation, and to think through who is best-
placed to provide permission for starting case management services.
• Situation Assessment: In situations when the child is with a caregiver,

caseworkers begin by assessing whether or not it is appropriate and safe for
the child to speak with the caseworker in the presence of his/her caregiver.
For example, if the officer suspects the caregiver is dangerous to the child,
the caseworker may decide to speak to the child alone rather than with the
caregiver, as part of the procedure in obtaining permission to proceed with
case management services.
• Obtain Consent/Assent: The CP officer must provide information on

the case management process and potential risks; the information to be
collected, how it will be stored and with whom it will be shared; as well as
confidentiality and its limits. Children under 18 years of age can participate
in an informed assent process, but require the permission of a parent or
caregiver as well. In the case where no parent or caregiver is available (e.g.
due to separation or role in the abuse), caseworkers can use the informed
assent process, but should involve a supervisor.

Risk Assessment Guide for Child
Protection Cases
Risk Description Timeframe Examples
Level
Immediate The child is in a Ideally, Rape, sexual assault,
Risk life-threatening intervention attempted suicide
situation and, should incident, any sexual
without immediate happen before contact between a
intervention, is likely leaving the child and an adult
to be seriously injured, child. Report (where person causing
sexually abused immediately to harm has access to the
or trafficked. An supervisor. child).
immediate risk case
is in effect a high-
risk case where the
action needs to be
taken without delay.
Intervention is needed
as a matter of urgency.
Once this has been
provided, then the
case can be considered
High Risk.
High Risk The child is likely to Intervention Adolescent pregnancy/

be seriously harmed should happen child parent.
or injured in the short within 24 hours.
term as a result of Excessive corporal
any form of abuse, if punishment, threats to
left in his/her present injure, dangerous and
circumstances reckless behavior,
without protective self-harming.
intervention. A high-
risk case is still a high Child engaging in
priority but there very risky behaviors,
may be time for more has stopped
detailed planning and communicating, sense
assessment. of reality is affected,
intense violent
behaviors.

Risk Description Timeframe Examples
Level
Medium Risk A child is likely to suffer Intervention The child has been
some degree of harm should happen sexually violated in the
without an effective within 72 hours past and not received
protective intervention any support; caregivers’
plan. Intervention is approach to the child
warranted, however, is harmful (occasional
there is no evidence belittling, isolation or
that the child is at risk humiliation).
of imminent serious
injury or death.
Low Risk The home is safe, Intervention Non-injurious,

however a child is likely should happen occasional corporal
to suffer some degree within 1 week. punishment;
of harm in the longer child is treated
term unless services differently than other
are not provided. siblings and parent is
negative towards the
child.
If a case worker answers YES to several of the questions below, the case should be
considered Immediate Risk.
• Do the parents show little affection towards the child, or appear overly critical?
• Does the child appear uncared for?
• Is there any concern about the safety of the child?
• Does the closeness of the relationship between the perpetrator and the child have
implications for the child’s immediate safety?
• Can the perpetrator access the child easily?
• Does the perpetrator’s position and level of power in relation to the child raise further
safety concerns?
• Has the child sustained serious or life-threatening injuries from the perpetrator (e.g.,
beating until loss of consciousness, hitting abdomen during pregnancy, deep cuts,
injury requiring hospitalization, etc.)?
• Has the perpetrator threatened to kill the child?
• Does the perpetrator have access to weapons, and has the perpetrator used weapons
or threatened to use weapons?
If the answer to several questions is YES, then the case should be dealt with as an
Immediate Risk case. If the answers to most of the questions are No, then the case should
be dealt with normally and assessed against the three other levels of risks.

Risk Categorization Criteria
This tool is provided to assist Community Support Volunteers (“Volunteers”)
to determine which cases/CP situations are to be referred to the case worker
immediately, and which could be reported during the monthly meeting
with the case worker. If in doubt regarding a particular case/issues, the CFS
mentor should always consult the case worker for advice. If similar or detailed
prioritization/categorization tools exist, operations may choose to use such tools
in place of this one.
Immediately: To be referred to the case worker immediately
Monthly: Mentor provides support to the child/family and reports on the case/
action using the Mentor Monthly Report Form
No. Type of Case When to report

Immediate Monthly
1. Sexual violence or risk of sexual violence. x
2. Child is married/is engaged to be married/is at risk x

of being married
3. Child mother/child is pregnant. x
4. Child is engaged in sex work. x
5. Child has developed emotional and/or sexual x

relationship with an adult.
6. The child is seeking to leave the country. x
7. Physical violence or threat of violence (resulting in x

pain or injury, or is repeated).
8. Attempted suicide/talking of suicide. x
9. Child is harming her/himself. x

No. Type of Case When to report
Immediate Monthly
10. Child is harming her/himself. x
11. Imminent threat to the safety of a child. x
12. Severe neglect by caregiver. x
13 Involved in the worst forms of child labor. x
14. Child is engaged in work to support her/himself. x
15. Child begging on the street. x
16. Recruitment or risk of recruitment into armed x

groups or forces.
17. Argument and conflict among children at home. x
18. Sustained, severe corporal punishment at home x

(repeated and resulting in injury and pain).
19. Continued arguments and disagreements x

between child and caregiver.
20. Child out of school. x
21. Child without documentation. x
22. Child is in conflict with the law, or at risk. x
23. Child with serious medical condition. x

STEP 6: OUTREACH PROGRAM
Guiding Note on Outreach Programs

1
STEP 6: Outreach Program
In This Section
Pg. 3 Guiding note on developing an outreach program

Detailed interventions and key considerations for use when
designing an outreach program.
Pg. 6 Categories of children who may be excluded

A list of groups of children who may be excluded from
outreach programs.
Pg. 7 Key standards to develop an outreach program

A list of standards that should be applied to the outreach
program.
Pg. 9 Roles and responsibilities for outreach volunteers

Job descriptions of the main responsibilities and tasks of
outreach volunteers.

2
A Child-Friendly Space (CFS) is not always attractive to all children,
particularly those who are vulnerable and at risk. Designing an
outreach intervention as part of the CFS’s activities is a major
element to identifying and recruiting the most vulnerable youth to
the space.
Outreach programs should be based on an understanding of the

children’s/youth’s vulnerabilities in the specific community, which
will require a risk factors analysis that highlights the dangers children
are exposed to, and protective factors that can support children
and protect them from harm. Refer to the contextualized analysis
that was initiated and child protection rapid assessment in Step 1
before the implementation of the CFS to help understand risk factors
among children in the communities.

3
Different Level of Risks
• Individual level: Risk factors that are determined by

biological and personal history including: education,
disability, gender, etc.
• Close relation level: Risk factors that describe a lack of

emotional bonding, family separation, poor parenting skills,
etc.
• Community level: Risk factors that describe harmful

community practices and beliefs that affect children’s daily
lives.
• Societal level: Risk factors that are imposed by social

structure, power dynamics, policies and legislation.
Key Actions
Pre-positioning:
• Base the outreach program on an understanding of the

present vulnerabilities children face in the community using
a risk factors analysis. Refer back to the Community-Based
Child Protection data and report, prepared before the CFS
implementation, or initiate ChildFund’s Community-Based
Child Protection in Emergency (CPiE) mapping process.
• Recruit a skilled team comprised of both males and females

who know the cultural context and are on good relations
with members of the local community.

4
Implementation:
• Mobilize the CFS team to engage with the most vulnerable

community members in their own settings, in common
community areas or through home visits.
• Invite children and parents to attend a full day in the CFS.
• Set a detailed outreach plan, which includes the target

number of children for each session, and statistics on
children from the groups you want to target.
• Continuous engagement with vulnerable groups is critical

to ensure community buy-in and engagement in the CFS.
• Adjust the CFS’s implementation and activities to

encourage the most vulnerable families and children to
attend.
• Outreach data should be collected for referral and

registration. See Step 8 for tools.
Available Tools for Outreach:
• Categories of children who may be exculded
• Outreach Standards
• Roles and Responsibilities of Outreach Team

5
Categories of children who may be excluded
from Child-Friendly Spaces
• Out of school children/youth
• Children/youth with disabilities
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex

(LGBTI) children
• Child/youth-headed households
• Children/youth living and working on the streets
• Children/youth born as a result of rape
• Children/youth from ethnic and religious

minorities
• Youth affected by HIV and AIDS
• Adolescent girls
• Children/youth engaged in the worst forms of

child labor
• Children/youth without appropriate care
• Children born out of wedlock
• Youth living in residential care or detention

6
Outreach Standards
The table below outlines the possible standards for Outreach Programs implemented
by CFS teams. Level 2 is the minimum standard that should be met. If the outreach
program is unable to meet Level 2, note the reason in “Note for the Record” as part of
CFS documentation.*

Definition
Outreach No outreach Outreach is Outreach is Outreach is

Activities conducted; conducted at conducted, and conducted,
or least center has new and
conducted once a week registrations center has
infrequently new
registrations
of out-
of-school
children
Information Outreach Outreach data Outreach data Outreach data

Management data not collected collected collected
(IM) collected manually manually using
– no and entered to technology
information an devices,
management IM system, but entered into
system not an
available analyzed IM system,
data
is analyzed
and
information is
used for
program
planning

7
Definition
Information Information ICRs are Use of ICR ICRs are

communication available, observed, or used
resources but not used evidence of and verified
use by
noted community
registrations members’
knowledge
Community Community Community Community Community

Outreach Team outreach team outreach outreach outreach
comprised of team team team
single comprised of comprised comprised
sex only male of males of male
and females and females, and females,
from host and engages
community engages youth,
and youth in community
emergency- outreach and
affected activities religious
community leaders in
members’ outreach
management activities
system
available
*This document is adopted from UNICEF’s Child-Friendly Space Approach implemented

during the Syria Response in 2013, referred to as Makani. The approach was developed by
UNICEF Mena region and implemented through partners.

8
Roles and responsibilities of outreach
volunteers
Scope of work:
Working under the supervision of the outreach officer, outreach volunteers will
work with the community and community leaders to strengthen family unity
through awareness-raising activities, meeting sessions and capacity building. The
aim of outreach volunteers is to spread awareness about child protection (CP) by
involving the community and community leaders in early identification of children
and families at risk to be referred to CFS or child protection services.
Specific duties and responsibilities:

• Schedule monthly meeting with community leaders and religious leaders to
discuss any changes in the communities which could potentially impact families
and children at risk.
• In coordination with the outreach officer, develop community awareness-raising
activities on child labor, child development, risk of separation, child protection in
emergencies, etc.
• Follow CP monitoring guidelines and send referrals to CP officer as required.

9
STEP 7: Community-based PSS and
Structured PSS Activities
Community-based PSS & Structured PSS Activities

1
STEP 7: Community-based PSS
and Structured PSS Activities
In This Section
Pg. 3 Guiding note on Community-based PSS

Provides an overview of structured and non-structured
psychosocial support (PSS) activities, including social-
emotional learning (SEL) activities and self-protection
lessons.
Pg. 4 Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

Global Framework
An outline of the MHPSS intervention pyramid from the
MInimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian
Action.
–
ChildFund’s Community-based Psychosocial
Pg. 5 Support
ChildFund’s approach to helping children identify and
strengthen effective coping mechanisms to adapt to their
situations and build resilience.
Linking Structured and Non-structured PSS to

Pg. 9 ChildFund’s Community-based Approach
Engaging families, community members and other
support systems when incorporating PSS through CFSs in
communities.
Overview: Community-based Psychosocial

Pg. 13
Activities Training
Overview of ChildFund’s five-day PSS facilitators training
package as part of the Encricle Resources Hub.

2
Guiding Note on Community-based
Psychosocial Support (PSS)
This guidance note provides an overview of structured and non-structured
psychosocial support (PSS) activities, including social-emotional learning (SEL)
activities and self-protection lessons, where they fit in the PSS intervention
pyramid, and how they can be integrated into community-based PSS programs.
This document accompanies ChildFund’s Encricle Resources Hub which
includes Psychological First Aid, Self Care and Structured PSS and SEL training
packages and is intended to be for Child Protection and Education Specialists
designing and implementing programs.
Community-based PSS — Encricle Resources Hub
The Encricle Resources Hub provides a range of trainings including a

training of traniners module linked to Psychological First Aid for Children,
and psychosocial interventions. The resource package also provides
training on non-structured and structured psychosocial support, social
emotional learning, and self-protection interventions. The capacity building
modules should be used to roll out psychosocial intervention in Child-
Friendly Spaces.
For capacity building and training purposes, staff should refer to

ChildFund’s Encricle Resources Hub.

3
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)
Global Framework
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) are processes and actions
that promote holistic well-being. They support children’s and youth’s needs,
particularly their sense of belonging, physical stimulation, intellectual stimulation,
personal attachments, feeling of being valued, and their relationships with peers.
These needs are often represented using a pyramid of interventions with four
distinct layers. Generally, the first and second layers are non-specialized, and the
most common type of interventions implemented in community spaces. Since
they are non-therapeutic, teachers and local community members (also called
“animators”) who have basic training can facilitate the activities. Interventions
aligned with layers three and four of the pyramid are more specialized and are
required when children are identified as needing additional support. These
children should be referred by PSS facilitators and Psychological First Aid (PFA)
helpers to specialists who have clinical training.
Figure 1: The MHPSS intervention pyramid from The Minimum Standards for
Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.
Intervention Pyramid
Examples
◆ Mental healthcare by mental

health specialists (psychiatric, Specialized
nurses, psychologists, Services
psychiatrists, etc.)
◆ Basic mental healthcare by

primary healthcare doctors. Focused
◆ Basic emotional and practical non-specialized
supporty by community workers. supports
◆ Activating social networks.

◆ Communal traditional supports. Strengthening community
◆ Supportive age-friendly spaces. and family supports
◆ Advocacy for basic services that

Social considerations in
are safe, socially appropriate and
basic services and security
protect dignity.

4
ChildFund’s Community-Based Psychosocial Support
In-line with the Inter-agency Standing Committee’s (IASC) pyramid on Mental

Health and Psychosocial Support, ChildFund’s Community-based Psychosocial
Support (CBPSS) program fits in the first and second layers of the MHPSS
service pyramid. Community-based PSS is about helping children and their
wider support network to identify and strengthen effective coping mechanisms
to adapt to their situations and build resilience; it is not about providing children
with therapeutic treatment.
ChildFund’s CBPSS approach recommends that in emergencies and in

humanitarian settings PFA should be the first intervention to calm distressed
families, caregivers, and children and identify children’s needs. PFA is often
sufficient enough to address children’s needs in distressful situations, since
many children will use their own resilience and social networks to be able to
resume their lives. With access to PFA, basic services, and security, most children
will recover. Following PFA, programs should offer PSS activities in child-friendly
spaces (or educational settings if operating) to bring a sense of normalcy and
establish a routine that children need in emergencies. Few children will require
continuous support through non-structured and structured PSS activities in
order to resume their daily activities/routine.
PSS Activities: Non-structured and structured

activities
PSS activities that fall within ChildFund’s approach, as noted above, include
non-structured and structured activities. The objectives of non-structured
and structured PSS interventions are centered around:
• Empowering children through educating them about their rights, child

protection, and options for service provisions.
• Strengthening teachers’, community mobilizers’ and community leaders’ PFA

skills in order to improve the psychosocial well-being of parents, caregivers,
children, and youth, particularly in times of crisis or distress.
• Enhancing children’s skills and knowledge to overcome the negative

impact of adversity, particularly violence, and to reintegrate them into the
community.
• Fostering children’s long-term development and psychological well-being

so they may realize their full potential, through building social-emotional
learning skills.

5
Non-structured PSS activities range between recreational and life skills activities.
Recreational activities fit into the second layer of the MHPSS pyramid and are
important as they help children relax, develop peer relationships, and have fun
– all important for mental well-being – but they are not focused on specific PSS
outcomes. Life-skills activities can, however, have specific outcomes and can
contribute to increased child protection, and illness and violence prevention.
Structured PSS activities support children in identifying and recognizing their

own internal resources and target three domains: emotional well-being; social
well-being; and skills and knowledge related to life skills. These activities are often
administrated with a small group of children and youth who require more attention
and show significant, but not critical, signs of distress, such as a lack of interest in
everyday activities, fear of the future, and who do not seem able to adapt to the
situation with only PFA (see Handout 4 of the PSS training package to identify
serious signs of stress that require specialized MHPSS). Targeted children and youth
should participate in activities covering the three domains with the objective of
empowering them to use their own social networks to build confidence and coping
mechanisms.

6
Figure 2: ChildFund’s Approach to PSS
Support
Distressed Children and Youth
Psychological First Aid
Development of their Establishing a routine and

competencies promoting their well-being
SEL Structured
Children with an established
Activities routine begin SEL actvities and PSS activities
lifeskills lessons.
Self-protection Specialized
lessons Referral of cases Services
b. Social-Emotional Learning Activities and Self-

protection Lessons
PSS support can also include additional activities for when children are no longer
in distress and have established a healthy routine, i.e., a child’s situation has
normalized, and he/she is using his/her own strengths, skills, and network to cope
with the environment. At this point, programs should integrate social emotional
learning (SEL) activities and/or self-protection lessons in formal and non-formal
settings.
SEL is the process through which children and adults understand and manage
emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others,
establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. SEL
activities are another form of structured PSS. However, SEL fosters the long-term
competency development that supports children to realize their full potential in
the future.
Community-based
Community-based PSS
PSS &
& Structured
Structured PSS
PSS Activities
Activities
7
7
Knowledge and skills related to self-protection enhance children’s confidence to
help themselves and others, and increases their ability to know their rights, seek
help, and prevent violence. Self-protection lessons should also be integrated with
SEL activities and PSS to build awareness on violence, abuse, and exploitation,
and how to seek help when an incident occurs.
It is critical to understand that children’s situations are not linear. A child that
might appear to be following a routine when his/her situation is normalized, may
fall behind because of unforeseen events. During PSS interventions, whether
implementing non-structured/structured PSS or SEL and self-protection
activities, facilitators should be administering PFA and integrating it in all
activities to calm children, or identify and refer children who are in need to further
specialized MPSS support, case management or immediate basic services.
Effective PSS should take place in an environment where MHPSS is being

addressed at different levels (see the MHPSS intervention pyramid above).
Therefore, it is important that MHPSS service providers have been identified and
referral systems are in place so that children requiring more focused support
can be referred to trained providers who operate at layers three and four of the
intervention pyramid.
It is most important that ChildFund or other implementing organization staff

not provide or attempt to provide services outside of their capacity. Specifically,
to prevent unintended harm, only trained professionals outside of ChildFund or
the implementing organization should provide therapy or specialized assistance.
However, identifying children for referral to specialized psychosocial and mental
health support is an important task for organization staff, community facilitators
and PFA helpers. Daily monitoring of children is part of the PSS facilitator’s job,
which includes noting children’s activities, moods, and behaviors while they are in
the center. When a child exhibits unusual behavior repeatedly, this is often a sign
of distress.
Telemedicine has been one of the positive opportunities

presented as result of the COVID-19 emergency. Consider
telemedicine for specialized MHPSS service for remote
communities that have limited or no access to such
services.

Linking Non-Structured and Structured
Psychosocial Activities to ChildFund’s
Community-Based Approach
Structured community-based PSS activities have been shown to result in many
benefits traditionally delivered in CFSs, but may be delivered in any community
settings. CFSs must incorporate, engage and strengthen families, community
members and other support systems. Through PSS activities organized by staff or
volunteers who are trained in PFA, children’s psychosocial well-being is nurtured
and may be improved.
Prior to beginning any non-structured/structured PSS activities, implementing

staff should initiate several steps to ensure community engagement in the design
and implementation of the PSS interventions:
1. A rapid assessment to help identify potential

community strengths, assets and any limitations needed,
covering the following questions:
• What programs currently exist, if any, providing PSS to

children and families?
• What are caregivers already doing to keep children safe and
calm?
• Are there adults who demonstrate a particular
understanding of children’s needs?
• How are children and adolescents spending their time? Do
they play soccer together or chat at the water point?
• Could you involve youth in younger children’s care and
protection?
• What strategies could be built upon in a PSS program that
are currently being used in the community to comfort
children?
2. Identifying coordinating partners

Identifying village committees, community groups, and
community-based organizations is also a way to identify
strengths within the local community. PSS planning (and
implementation) must include coordination and collaboration
with different stakeholders including, where possible, existing
community level structures.

9
3. Meaningful child, youth, family and community
participation is critical for effective community-based
PSS.
For instance:
• Involve youth in program assessment, design, activities
planning, implementation, outreach and monitoring.
• Hire and use youth educators. This has positive psychosocial
benefits for the youth educators by building their own
confidence, leadership skills and teamwork, as well as for the
youth they support, and can strengthen peer information
exchange and mentorship.
• Train prominent adults in the community (teachers, coaches,
community leaders) in methods to develop and promote
self-esteem, negotiate and establish boundaries, improve
communication, prevent and manage violence, make
safe use of technology, and learn how to be a mentor and
supportive adult for all children in the community.
• Support mentoring programs for children and adolescents
by other community members to build life skills and provide
positive role models.
4. Culture adaptation
ChildFund should build on already existing activity banks available for structured
PSS, SEL, and self-protection activities, including but not limited to the following list:
• The activity catalog for CFSs in humanitarian settings from

IFCRC and World Vision.
• SEL Intervention manuals from International Rescue
Committee, which include a lesson bank of SEL activities and
a games bank.
• The Learning and Well-being in Emergencies manual from
Save the Children.
• Terres des Hommes: Laugh, run and move to develop
together, which includes activities for 4-14 year olds: https://
www.tdh.ch/en/media-library/documents/laugh-run-and-
move-develop-together.
• PLAY @ HOME Games for Health and Wellbeing during the
COVID-19 Outbreak: https://inee.org/system/files/resources/
Play%20%40%20Home_Covid-19_Games_Packet.pdf

10
5. Working with different groups of children and the
community
It is important that PSS activities facilitators consider children’s different ages, as
well as their different interests, and adapt them accordingly. Working with other
community members is an effective outreach strategy to ensure that children,
especially those who are hard to reach, can participate in activities. It is often
difficult to reach children who are the most at-risk during an emergency. PSS
strategies should also take into account that it is generally more challenging to
involve youth in PSS interventions and, therefore, it is particularly valuable to
develop strategies that include consulting with and meaningfully involving youth.
Below are some strategies which can be used to involve diverse ranges of children.
• Consider organizing activities during separate time periods for

very young children (0‐3 and 4‐7 years) and their caregivers,
school-aged children (8‐12 years), and teenagers (13‐18 years),
respectively. Organize developmentally appropriate activities
for each group (see also: Annex — Developmental Milestones).
• Older children may benefit from being actively involved
in caregiving, advocacy, or coordinating care for younger
children. Consider options for child participation in how they
may contribute to the CFS and PSS.
• If there are very large numbers of children, consider providing
shorter sessions for more children, rotating children (e.g.
some children engage in center-based activities while others,
if it is safe, do activities in the community), and mobilizing
community members to conduct activities in satellite
locations.
• Collaborate with staff or organizations that specialize
in working with traditionally excluded groups, such as
adolescent girls, people with disabilities, etc. Care should be
taken to ensure that the physical aspects of the CFS (e.g.,
accessibility for people with disabilities) enable excluded
people to participate.
• Extend non-specialized psychosocial support, including PFA,
to all community members by raising their awareness to
detect signs of physical-emotional risk and distress among
children and youth.
• Extend psychosocial support to promote caregivers’ well-
being and provide parents/caregivers with parenting/family
strengthening programs.

11
6. Targeting adolescents and gender differences
Adolescents have specific needs but are also harder to engage
through CFSs. It is essential to identify adolescents, including
those with disabilities, without stigmatizing, and to target
them with age- and gender-sensitive activities, ideally through
a participatory process of design. Cultural sensitivities may be
more significant at this age, for example, restrictions on girls
mixing with boys, so it is important to fully understand these and
find ways to adapt, such as by escorting girls or having girl-only
sessions. Young mothers may need assistance with child care in
order to participate. Additionally, working with the community
and the girls themselves to identify culturally appropriate ways of
engaging girls in meaningful activities that they see as important
greatly contributes to girls attending PSS activities, as well as
building their sense of agency.
Adolescents appreciate being fully informed about their

situation and future. In addition to activities such as film clubs,
life and social-emotional skills training, it is important to engage
adolescents in other meaningful activities. For instance, as
volunteers with younger children, or in leadership roles related to
separation/trafficking prevention.

12
Community-Based Psychosocial Activities
Training
Overview
ChildFund developed a five-day PSS facilitators training package as part of the
Encricle Resources Hub, for teachers and other community members to develop
and facilitate structured PSS activities, including SEL and self-protection activities,
for children of different ages. The training encourages participants to use their local
knowledge to guide activity contextualization. This training will take an estimated 30
hours to complete, based on an in-person setting.
Can the training be delivered using virtual settings?

The training can be adopted and delivered using virtual settings such as
Microsoft Teams and Zoom. The level of effort is also 30 hours of a blended
learning approach composed of the following methodology:
SELF-DIRECTED ACTIVITIES (Asynchronous Learning) for a total of 4 hours.

Participants will receive learning materials, including brief videos accessible by
YouTube, handouts, graphs/visuals, and other materials to study at their own pace
before the virtual lessons convene.
VIRTUAL SESSIONS (Synchronous Learning) for a total of 18 hours, to be delivered

in 6 virtual sessions. Facilitators will work with participants in daily group
sessions held on Microsoft Teams/Zoom, etc. The sessions will focus on reflecting,
practicing, and discussing content reviewed individually.
REFLECTION SHEETS AND GROUP WORK (Semi-Synchronous Learning) for a

total of 3 hours. Small groups (pairs) assigned by the facilitator will come together
virtually to practice skills learned in self-directed activities and virtual sessions.
A suggested virtual agenda detailing the self-directed activities and offline

assignments will be included in the trainer’s notes section of the training.
Learning objectives:
• Understand a community-based approach to MHPSS.

• Understand structured PSS, SEL, and self-protection activities.
• Adapt structured PSS, SEL, and self-protection activities to local contexts.
• Develop workplans for structured PSS, SEL, and self-protection activities for
children and youth.
• Expand PSS program to adolescents, older youth, and caregivers.
• Learn effective program monitoring for activities and children’s well-being.

13
What is included in ChildFund’s Community-Based Psychosocial Support and
Structured Activities Training Package?
The training package includes the following:
1. Trainers’ notes for five days of face-to-face training sessions. The session plans
will also include virtual adaptations of the sessions.
2. Master slide deck with 165 slides.
3. 19 handouts
Training Outline:
Topic Learning Objective
Introduction
and objective of Introduction and objective of community-
Day 1 community-based based mental health and psychosocial
mental health and support.
psychosocial support
• Adapt structured PSS, SEL, and self-

Plan and organize protection activities to local contexts.
Day 2 structured PSS • Develop workplans for structured PSS, SEL,
activities and self-protection activities for children
and youth.

protection activities to local contexts.
Plan and organize SEL
Day 3 • Develop workplans for structured PSS, SEL,
activities
and self-protection activities for children
and youth.

protection activities to local contexts.
Plan and organize self-
• Develop workplans for structured PSS, SEL,
protection activities
Day 4 and self-protection activities for children
and engage youth &
and youth.
caregivers
• Expand PSS program to adolescents, older
youth, and caregivers.
Monitor and track • Monitor program activities and children’s

Day 5
children’s wellbeing well-being.

14
Global Guidance
Global guidance on community-based child protection and

MHPSS in emergencies has been developed by a number of
UN-coordinated, multi-agency groups including: The Alliance
for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (previously called
the Child Protection Working Group), The Inter-Agency
Standing Committee (IASC) Reference Group on Mental Health
and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, and the
International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Key global guidance on community-based approaches includes:
• Child Protection Working Group (2019). Minimum Standards for Child

Protection in Humanitarian Action. Standard 17: “All children and young people
can go to community-supported child-friendly spaces that provide structured
activities that are carried out in a safe, child-friendly, inclusive and stimulating
environment”; Standard 10: “Girls’ and boys’ coping mechanisms and resilience
are strengthened, and severely affected children are receiving appropriate
support”.
• Inter-Agency Network of Education in Emergency (2018). GUIDANCE NOTE
PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT Facilitating Psychosocial Wellbeing and Social and
Emotional. Learning. https://inee.org/system/files/resources/INEE_Guidance_
Note_on_Psychosocial_Support_ENG_v2.pdf.
• UNICEF (2018) Operational Guidelines on Community-Based Mental Health
and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Settings: Three-tiered support for
children and families (field test version).
• IASC Reference Group on MHPSS (2019). Community-based approaches to
MHPSS programs: a guidance note.
• IOM (2019). Manual on Community based mental health and psychosocial
support in emergencies and displacement and Psychosocial Support in
Humanitarian Settings: Three-tiered support for children and families (field
test version).
• IASC Reference Group on MHPSS (2019). Community-based approaches to
MHPSS programs: a guidance note.
• IOM (2019). Manual on Community based mental health and psychosocial
support in emergencies and displacement.

15
STEP 8: MONITORING AND
EVALUATION COMPONENT
Monitoring & Evaluation Component

1
Step 8: Monitoring and Evaluation
Component
In This Section
Pg. 3 Guiding note for monitoring and evaluation

Details the outcome and input indicators for CFS
implementation, and provides guidance on activities required
for the successful CFS implementation.
Pg. 8 CFS monitoring database

Excel database forms including: registration, monthly
reporting, weekly reporting, CP referral, CP risks reporting,
outreach registration, and monthly monitoring for outreach
programs. Tool:. Access to excel and editable files are found
on ChildFund’s SharePoint: https://childfundintl.sharepoint.
com/sites/programs/EVPOffice/EmergencyMgmtUnit/cfs/
SitePages/Child-Friendly-Spaces.aspx.

2
Guiding Note on Child-Friendly Space
monitoring and evaluation
Developing a proper monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for a Child-
Friendly Space (CFS) is important. This can be a confusing task as often
organizations have different terminology and approaches to M&E. You will
probably have heard terms like ‘goals’, ‘primary objective’, ‘indicator’ ‘outputs,
‘outcomes’ and ‘measures’ and wondered what these different terms all mean.
This chapter outlines a set of simple explanations and steps, without using too
many technical terms, for setting up a monitoring system and a CFS evaluation.
It also includes a section on setting up a system for children, parents/ guardians
and the community to give feedback on the CFS program.
Standardized tools across agencies

Many agencies implement similar CFS models in humanitarian contexts. It is very
useful to work with other agencies at the onset of an emergency to agree on a
standard M&E framework. This will allow a picture of how all children in the area are
being served by CFSFs.
What are the differences between monitoring and evaluation1?

Often we refer to monitoring and evaluation as if they are one thing. They are
linked, but are in fact two different practices.
Monitoring is the systematic gathering of information (or data) while a program

is being implemented. Collecting data like this will allow you to check (or monitor)
your work. For example, having data on who is (and who is not) attending regularly
will allow you to ask questions like, ‘Why are so few girls attending? What can we
do to make sure more girls attend?’ Monitoring data is used to review and improve
your implementation. It is also important when you are reporting on your program
to your organization’s management, and ultimately to the donor, as it shows how
resources have been used.
Evaluation refers to examining specific information at specific time points (usually

at the beginning, middle and end of a program) to see if the CFS activities have
achieved the expected results. For example, one of the aims of setting up a CFS
is to help children recover from stressful events. So an evaluation would ask
questions like, ‘Are the children less emotionally stressed after being part of a CFS
program?’ Finding ways to answer such a question is a complex task. This chapter
provides some simple information on how to support an evaluation, but we
suggest engaging a technical expert to help you conduct an evaluation.
1 Adapted from Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), The Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Mental Health
and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings: with means of verification (Version 2.0), IASC, Geneva, 2021.

3
Setting Up a Monitoring Framework1
Be sure to allow time at the beginning, middle and end of a program and budget
for a technical expert and their research team to collect data and evaluate if your
program has achieved its goals.
Monitoring Coordinator
This toolkit includes a terms of reference for a monitoring
coordinator who will be responsible for making sure that ongoing
monitoring data is collected accurately, entered into the Excel
database, kept secure, and who also produces reports for the CFS
staff to review and to report to donors on the CFS progress. This
person can work 50% of their time on program monitoring while
they work on another program, as it should not be a full-time job.
What to monitor:
A monitoring system for a CFS program should include tools and processes for
regularly tracking the following:
□ Registration or enrollment – this should include details about the child as well as
contact information for parent/ guardian and a consent form signed by parents/
guardian. This is not a very useful monitoring tool as a child may register and
never attend. But it is important to ask parent/ guardians to fill in a registration
form as it gives background information about a child, contact details and
consent to participate from parent/ guardian.
□ Attendance – the attendance of the enrolled children in the regular Child
Friendly Space activities. It is important to record the sex and age of the children
and if at all possible also disability status.
□ Activities – the type of activities conducted in the Child Friendly Space each day.
□ Outreach – records of children in need of protection identified during outreach
activities and a tracking form to record follow up of these children.
□ Referrals – the number of children who attend the Child Friendly Space who are
referred to other services.
□ Child Friendly Space quality standards – the extent to which a Child Friendly
Space is meeting minimum quality standards. Regular monitoring of the quality
of Child Friendly Space should be undertaken to make sure that children and
families are receiving the best possible service.
1 Adapted from World Vision International, (2015). Evaluation of Child Friendly Spaces: Tools and guidance for monitoring and
evaluating CFS.

4
Tools for Monitoring
This toolkit includes tools for monitoring each of the suggested activities. They are
described in more detail in the next section, and the actual forms/tools are in Excel
form in ChildFund’s Sharepoint site found here: https://childfundintl.sharepoint.
com/sites/programs/EVPOffice/EmergencyMgmtUnit/cfs/SitePages/Child-Friendly-
Spaces.aspx.
The monitoring tools are adopted from World Vision International’s (2015) Evaluation
of Child Friendly Spaces: Tools and guidance for monitoring and evaluating
CFS, found here: https://www.wvi.org/united-nations-and-global-engagement/
publication/evaluation-child-friendly-spaces-tools-and-guidance
The Monitoring Coordinator should print out the forms from Excel for use by the
different members of the CFS team (see below for more information.)
Monitoring Framework Useful Terms
Overall goal: The specific objective you want to achieve at the end of
a project. For a CFS program, the overall goal would be: “To promote
protection, well-being and learning through safe, inclusive and contextually
age-appropriate activities in a child-friendly space.” 1
Activities: The actual work that you do. Each activity you run should
contribute to reaching the overall goal.
Outputs: The results of individual activities are sometimes called ‘outputs’.

An example of an activity is training CFS volunteers on reporting child
protection issues. The output from this activity would be trained volunteers
with knowledge on child protection. Another example of an activity is
providing PSS support through structured groups. The output would be
the number of children attending a group for more than 3 sessions.
Indicators: Think of an indicator on a car. It flashes to show that something

is happening – the car is going to turn. In monitoring language, an indicator
is something you can see (like a flashing light) that tells you something
is happening. So the number of volunteers trained in child protection
is an output indicator – it is showing a result of an activity (the training).
The number of children attending PSS groups at least 6 times in a row is
showing you (or indicating) how well your activity (the PSS group) is doing.
1 Minimum Std. 15. The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (ACPHA) (2019), Minimum Standards for Child
Protection in Humanitarian Action, 2019 Edition. https://alliancecpha.org/en/system/tdf/library/attachments/cpms_2019_final_
en.pdf?file=1&type=nod

5
Tools and Forms
Registration or enrollment: this comprises two forms, 1) an application form
filled in by the CFS facilitator for every child and kept in file, 2) a registration tracking
sheet that is used to support data analysis.
Objectives: Record number of children attending CFS activities disaggregated by
sex, age, and others.
Time: 10 minutes for each child at the time of registration
Frequency: Once for each child
Steps:
• Register all children and visitors (all visitors need to sigh ChildFund
International Child Safeguarding Policy) at the door before entering CFS.
• All data may be recorded on paper using the forms below, and then entered
electronically using registration tracking sheet on excel or/and other data
analysis tool.
• All records are confidential and must kept in secure space.
Example of a registration application:

6
Example of a registration tracking sheet in Excel:
Attendance record: This is comprised of two forms, 1) a paper-based form to

record daily attendance, 2) an attendance tracking sheet to support data analysis.
Objective:
• Maintains a record of the daily attendance of children disaggregated by date, sex,
age, and others.
• Supports appropriate targeting of Child-Friendly Space.
Time: 10 minutes to fill the form
Frequency: Daily
Steps:
• Register all children daily before starting activities in Child-Friendly Space.
• Enter the attendance sheet electronically in a daily basis.
• On bi-weekly basis, review attendance and look for patterns of attendance by sex,
age group ad disability ability.
Example of a paper-based daily attendance sheet:

7
Example of CFS attendance tracking
Activity Record: This is comprised of two forms: 1) Non-structured Activity Plan,

and 2) Structured PSS Activity plan.
Objective:
• To track activities conducted at the CFS.
• To inform changes to the CFS activity schedule.
Frequency: Every week with change of schedule
Steps:
• Prepare activity plan with team every two weeks.
• Update the schedule and keep copies of old schedules on file for review.

8
Example of non-structured PSS activity plan
Example of structured PSS activity plan

9
Outreach Identification
Objective:
• To record children attending mobile activities supported by CFS oand/or
those who have been recruited to CFS through mobile awareness campaigns in
targeted locations.
• To support targeting vulnerable and at-risk children to attend CFS activities.
Time: 30 minutes for every child by outreach workers.
Frequency: Daily or depending on outreach team schedule.
Steps:
• Outreach officer fills out ‘Outreach Identification Form’ for every child
attending mobile activities supported by CFS and/or those who have been
recruited to CFS through mobile awareness campaigns in targeted locations.
• Enter electronically using outreach tracking sheet in Excel and/or other data
analysis tools.
• All records are confidential and must kept in secure space.
Example of paper-based ‘Outreach Identification’ form

10
Example of paper-based ‘Outreach Identification’ form (cont.)
Example of outreach tracking sheet on Excel sheet

11
Referral Tracking System
The referral tracking system consist of two forms: 1) a CFS Referral Form for Services;
2) Child Protection Identification Tracking Sheet; 3) Cases Referred to Specialized
Services
Objectives:
• To record the number of children who attend the CFS who are referred to child
protection and other services.
• To record the child protection issues that are being referred and detected by CFS
program staff.
• To record information on the follow-up activities carried out by CFS staff.
Time: 15-30 minutes to complete the form (depending on the nature of referral and
the level of details required).
Frequency: To be completed every time a referral is made.
Steps:
• Immediately after a meeting or decision to refer a child to another service,
complete the form.
• Keep copies of the referral forms on file as part of the case management system
and periodic review.
• Bi-weekly, record the child protection issues identified and referred by CFS staff.
• Bi-weekly, conduct a review of the type of service, child protection issues, and
follow-up actions.

12
Example of CFS Referral Form for Service

13
Examples of Child Protection Identification and Case Referral Tracking Sheets

14
CFS Quality Standards Checklist
Objectives:
• To assist in planning for CFS in the field.
• To assist in monitoring CFS implementation.
• To improve CFS quality.
Time: 10 minutes to fill in after spending at least a morning or afternoon in the CFS.
Frequency: Every three months by the CFS Coordinator.
Steps:
• This checklist is not designed to assess the impact or monitor CFS
implementation. It is designed to plan and improve quality of the CFS
implementation. Therefore, it should not be used as an assessment tool.
• This checklist will be filled out by a senior program staff overseeing the CFS
implementation.
• The checklist should be filled out based on field visit(s), observations and
discussions with program staff.
• Ideally, the checklist should be discussed with CFS staff and management to
agree on next steps.
• This checklist can be used to plan for CFSs.

15
A Monitoring Framework – How to Use the Different
Tools
A monitoring framework is a summary of all of the different tools you will use to
monitor activities and outputs and it also describes who will use the tools and how
often. The table below is a monitoring framework for the ongoing monitoring of a

16
17
18
Supporting an Impact Evaluation
As we explained at the beginning of this chapter, an evaluation does not collect
ongoing data but looks at specific information at specific time points (usually at
the beginning, middle and end of a program) to see if the activities done have
achieved the overall goal of the CFS program.
If the overall goal of the program is:

“To promote protection, well-being and learning through safe, inclusive and
contextually age-appropriate activities in a child friendly space,1” then an
evaluation will tell you if this goal has been achieved at the end of the project.
Baseline and endline data

This is data that is collected before a program starts. It gives a base that can be
compared to data collected at the end of a program. A baseline for a CFS would
probably show that there was nowhere for children to go in the area where they
felt safe and protected. It may also show that a high percentage of children in
the community were emotionally stressed. An evaluation would then, at the
end of the program (after three years, for example) ask children in the area if
there was anywhere they could go where they would feel safe and protected –
hopefully a high percentage of children would say ‘Yes! The CFS. We go there
every week!’ The evaluators may also test the levels of emotional stress in
children. If the CFS program has achieved its goal then a smaller percentage of
children in the community should have high emotional stress levels. These are
examples to help you understand evaluation language, it is complex to measure
things like emotional stress so this is why it is important to bring in a technical
expert to help you do an evaluation.
Impact: If there is an impact on something, it means it has changed or it is

different. Your goal as a CFS team is to have an impact on children’s protection,
well-being and learning, and by comparing baseline and endline data you
should be able to see this. Evaluators sometimes also compare data collected
from children who have been part of a program with children who have not.
We hope this short explanation will help you understand some of the language
of M&E. If you want to understand more about CFS program evaluation, this
publication is useful: World Vision International, (2015). Evaluation of Child
Friendly Spaces: Tools and guidance for monitoring and evaluating CFS.
https://www.wvi.org/united-nations-and-global-engagement/publication/
evaluation-child-friendly-spaces-tools-and-guidance
1 Minimum Std. 15. The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (ACPHA) (2019), Minimum Standards for
Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, 2019 Edition. https://alliancecpha.org/en/system/tdf/library/attachments/cpms_2019_final_
en.pdf?file=1&type=nod

19
Impact Indicator Ideas
The following are three useful impact indicators, however, hiring a technical expert to
set up a full evaluation plan is advised.

20
STEP 9: CFS TRANSITION TO
COMMUNITY AND EXIT
Transitioning to Community
1
STEP 9: Transitioning to Community
In This Section
Pg. 3 Key considerations for CFS transition and exit

Tips and suggestions for teams to consider when transitioning
the CFS and exiting the community.
Pg. 5 Tools to support the team planning the transition

Tools for the team to use when planning the transition.
Script dialogue for existing community

Pg. 8 Suggestions for effective communication with community
members prior to transition/exit.
Options for transitioning from community

Pg. 9 List of possible options to be discussed with community
before exiting and closing the program.
Elements to be considered during transition

Pg. 10 A list of questions and scenarios to be considered during
transition/exit.
2
Transitioning the Child-Friendly Space to
the community
Child-Friendly Spaces (CFSs) should be implemented using a phased approach
during emergencies. Naturally, they will evolve over time, along with the needs
and priorities of the community. The initial start-up may function very differently
than it does a year later.
Using intervals of 3- and 6-months can be useful for evaluating next steps, given
the rapidly changing post-emergency environment. CFS activities in various
countries have continued, stopped or evolved as communities have moved into
more stable post-emergency phases. For example, following the earthquake
in Gujarat, India, CFSs initially served as an important area for children to
safely meet and gather. However, rapid rebuilding of homes and villages soon
became the priority, and the decision was made to close the CFSs as other, more
permanent structures for children were being created.
Before transitioning out of

the CFS, it is important that
sufficient capacity building is
happening at the local level,
so that the needs of children
and youth will continue to be
met. It is also crucial that all
relevant players are involved
in the transition – local
communities and families,
government structures,
local organizations and
international NGOs. The
following case study is an
example of a successful
transition where all relevant
players built a sustainable
program:
3
Transitioning out of the CFS: Field Example from
Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, communities were reassessed three

months after the start of the CFSs, in an effort not to
compete with the opening of formal, government
schools, and to determine the best use of CFS activities.
Communities emphasized the importance of continuing
the CFS’s informal education activities in areas where
children did not have access to formal school, and establishi
ng youth and adult literacy courses for both men and
women. The program evolved and expanded to meet
these needs. Care was taken not to pull teachers away
from the formal schools, and CFS staff were given stipends.
Operating hours were also timed so that the CFS activities
for school-aged children were not scheduled during school
hours. CFSs were recognized as an important complement
to the government educational and literacy programs.
Establishing strong relations with local Ministry of
Education officials was also essential to smoothly transition
the programs and meet the needs of the educational
system.
It is important to engage the community and the government in additional

planning for children. Some of the options for the continued use of the CFS
structure would include:
• Post-conflict schooling facility
• Community center
• Youth center
• Recreational center
• After-school activity center
4
Quick List: Transitioning
out of the CFS
□ Ensure sufficient
capacity building of the
community
□ Engage the community

in planning the transition
□ Engage government,
schools, and other local
groups
Available Tools
□ Transition process guidance
□ How to Say Goodbye to the Community
□ Options for Transition
□ Elements to Consider During Transition
5
Transition Process Guidelines
Steps to Transition Details
Plan from the outset 1. Include options for transition and steps to be in transition
in your initial plans. Align these with broader recovery
planning.
2. Contingency planning: What will you do if the CFS comes

under attack? Or if there is an outbreak of a communicable
disease? How will you deal with unforeseen developments
and unintended consequences?
Communicate and 1. All stakeholders (staff, planners, government, community

consult and religious leaders, community members, families and
children) need to be informed that the CFS is a temporary
measure to offer support to families and communities in
the first phase of the emergency and during early recovery;
it is not a long-term substitute for community or family
care or schooling systems.
2. The closure date should be clearly shared with all

stakeholders, both children and adults, during the initial
set-up stage.
3. Consult with children, parents and community leaders

on how they would like to transition the CFS. Discussions
around transition should take place from the outset and
be on-going throughout the monitoring process. Senior
staff should meet with community members at an early
stage of the exit/transition process to make sure they
accept and understand the consequences of closure or
transition.
4. Community and religious leaders and others can be

involved in planning meetings with the organizations to
discuss how to close or transition the CFS.
5. Regardless, of whether the CFS transitions into a longer-

term initiative or phases out completely, it is important to
establish a constant dialogue with community members
about the plans and future of the CFS. If there are plans
to maintain a CFS on a more permanent basis, this
should be planned and designed in consultation with the
community.
6
Coordinate 1. Work with other CFS implementing agencies on the

timeline for phase out.
2. Have discussions with social services on support they can

give to vulnerable children: Coordinate with health service
providers to see what activities they will maintain for
distressed children and families. Link up with education
service providers to explore how they can bridge the gap
to the formal system.
3. Coordinate with other sectors and agencies (especially

camp management clusters and OCHA) regarding
population movements, their transition plans and dates for
closure, etc.
Assess 1. Assess other community members, community-based

organizations, local NGOs, government agencies and local
schools’ capacity to continue CFS activities, to take on the
next phase of the project, management of CFS or other
forms of transition activities.
2. Assess the support needs of children and capacity of long-

term stakeholders to meet needs. Ensure that the needs of
the children continue to be met.
3. Reinforce capacity in line with the needs identified in the

assessment.
4. Identify an agreed model for phase out with all

stakeholders, communicating what the chosen model is to
all those involved.
All photos by Jake Lyell
7
How to Say Goodbye to the Community*
1. Write a letter to the CFS staff and follow up with group and individual
meetings.
2. Write an official letter about the project closure for regional, provincial, city/
municipal and barangay leaders, including elders and informal leaders,
whenever applicable. Follow the letter with face-to-face briefings. Put a copy
of the letter to the community leaders on information boards.
3. Use a Question & Answer sheet to guide staff when communicating with
beneficiaries about the end of the project.
4. Plan for conducting exit meetings with communities.
5. Report on project achievements and learnings.
6. Write a letter to other NGOs and partners. Follow up with face-to-face

briefings and meetings.
7. Hold focus groups and/or house-to-house visits to reach women and

vulnerable groups who may be unable to attend formal meetings.
8. Use posters and leaflets, including formats that are appropriate and can be
understood by children and all groups of the population in the community,
in various local languages/dialects, etc.
9. Invite feedback or comments on the CFS’s activities.
10. Collect stories about successful work and positive community interactions.
Consider giving these back to the community in a creative way, for example,
by having a photo exhibit during the handover.
11. Support appropriate cultural activities or celebrations when projects are

handed over to the community.
12. Support and facilitate special closure activities for children, such as games,
theatre performances, dances, or songs.
13. Evaluate exit communication activities and record lessons learned.
*Adapted from “How to say goodbye” from T. Gorgonio (2006) “Notes on Accountable Exit from
Communities when Programmes Close”
8
Options for Transition
There is a wide range of options to consider when making choices about transition.
Emergency Materials and kits provided to trained members of the

preparedness community for use to set up a CFS again, in case of another
disaster in the future.
Transfer materials to Teachers can integrate recreational and physical activities

schools and materials into their lesson plans. Once schools reopen,
they can be used during lunch breaks or after school.
Set up children’s Older adolescents or trained facilitators may volunteer to be

clubs responsible for the materials and run activities for younger
children outside of school hours.
Children may also like to use the space for:

• Music groups
• Choir
• Sports teams (competitive & non-competitive)
• Sewing/knitting
• Arts and crafts
• Woodwork/metalwork
• Debate groups
• Health education (child-to-child)
• Mine awareness activities
• Peacebuilding groups
• Youth/children’s committees
• Volunteer groups
• Children’s rights clubs
Communities Communities may choose to communally cover the cost

fundraise to of salaries and maintenance so children have on-going
maintain CFS recreational and physical activities supervised by trained
activities facilitators.
Community center Site may be used for other community activities such as
or site women’s groups, community centers, children’s/youth clubs,
literacy initiatives, or vocational training activities.
9
Elements to Consider in Transition Plans*
• Regardless of whether the CFS transitions into a longer term initiative or
phases out completely, it is important from the onset to establish a constant
dialogue with community members about the plans and future of the CFS.
• Discussions regarding transition/exit should take place from the very
beginning and should consider the following:
Categories Elements to Consider
Children’s What do the children like most about the CFS? What do they
hopes and want to see continue, change or stop?
expectations for
CFS
Community Do community members want to support an initiative for children

member such as this on their own for a longer time?
ownership
Is it feasible given the context within the community?
Institutional
systems to Are there government agencies, NGOs and other humanitarian
ensure program sectors in the area that can/will continue to support the
availability/ communities after the emergency and recovery?
services from
community
stakeholders
Ratio of children What groups of children can most benefit from a resource such as
needed : a club, meeting point or other structured activities?
interventions on
Child Protection Which groups of children are most vulnerable, and could the
in Emergencies structure be used to address some of their needs?
(CPiE)
Would the CFS become a more useful and appropriate resource if
other needs, beyond protection, were addressed?
10
Staff and volunteers 1. Inform staff of next steps, other opportunities for staff,
volunteers and others engaged in running the CFS.
2. Give staff an early warning on the process, and allow for
consultation.
Monitoring and 1. Consider setting up a monitoring system, where funding

Evaluation is available, enabling program management to continue
to see the impact of CFS programming.
Finances and 1. Discuss budget requirements and fundraising plans

budget with children, communities, partners or government
agencies taking on continued activity management.
2. Consider and budget for additional specific costs
associated with transition, such as moving materials,
cost of closing ceremony, etc.
Consider a name 1. Consider renaming the CFS (with input from the
change community) in order to avoid confusion and recognize
that emergencies require a distinctive way of working.
2. Plan follow-up visits after transition is completed, to
see how skills learned through the CFS are being used,
how well children are doing, how the materials and
space are being used, what DRR activities are being
implemented, etc. These all provide valuable lessons for
future programming.
*Adapted from Save the Children Child-Friendly Space Handbook, September 2009.
11
References
Child Protection Working Group, Guidance for Child Friendly Spaces in

Emergencies (2011). Available at: https://www.humanitarianlibrary.org/
resource/guidelines-child-friendly-spaces-emergencies
Child Protection Working Group, Child Protection Minimum Standards

in Humanitarian Standards (2012). Available at: https://www.refworld.org/
pdfid/5211dc124.pdf
Child Protection Working Group, Child Protection Minimum Standards in

Humanitarian Standards 2nd edition (2019). Available at: https://handbook.
spherestandards.org/en/cpms/#ch001
Christian Children’s Fund, Starting Up Child Centered Spaces in

Emergencies: A Field Manual (2008). Available at: https://inee.org/resources/
starting-child-centered-spaces-emergencies-field-manual
Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP), Accountability and Quality

Management (2010). Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/2010-hap-
standard-accountability-and-quality-management-enar
UNICEF, A Practical to Developing Child Friendly Spaces (2009). Available

at: https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/afghanistan/
document/practical-guide-developing-child-friendly-spaces-unicef
UNICEF Philippines, Documenting Child-Friendly Spaces Across Typhoon

Haiyan Affected Areas (2014). Available at: https://www.alnap.org/system/files/
content/resource/files/main/unicef-cfs-documentation-report.pdf
UNICEF Jordan Country Office, Guidance Note on “Makani” – “My Space”

Approach (2015). Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/jordan/guidance-
note-makani-my-space-approach-enar
UNICEF, Evaluation of UNICEF’s Psychosocial Support Response for Syrian

Children in Jordan (2015).
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322369421_
Evaluation_of_UNICEF%27s_Psychosocial_Support_Response_for_Syrian_
Children_in_Jordan
World Vision International, Evaluation of Child-Friendly Spaces: Tools and

Guidance for monitoring and evaluation CFS (2015). Available at: https://www.
wvi.org/united-nations-and-global-engagement/publication/evaluation-
child-friendly-spaces-tools-and-guidance
APPENDIX A: Alignment with CPMS
Standard 15 Checklist, 2nd Edition
OVERVIEW
Appendix A
1
Appendix A: Alignment of ChildFund’s Child-
Friendly Spaces Toolkit with CPMS Standard
15 Checklist:
Action detailed in Standard 15 Activities/tools available in

CFS toolkit
Preparedness Plan for involving the community in □ Community mobilization
identifying location, human resources, guidance
and activities. □ Community script/
dialogue tool
□ Job description of
facilitators
Collaborate with child protection □ Coordination tool

coordination group to ensure that up-
to-date service mapping and referral
pathways are available.
Develop an accessible, child-friendly □ Referral pathways tool

diagram of referral pathways and
share it with children, families and
communities.
Train staff to manage and facilitate □ Training package to

activities in core knowledge and skills. facilitators
Establish a child safeguarding policy □ Child safeguarding

and accompanying procedures, and training for all staff
train all staff and volunteers who will □ Easy access complaint
interact with children. mechanisms
□ Examples of child-friendly
materials for children
Appendix A
2
Response Fully involve children, their caregivers □ PSS package
and communities in developing program
activities.
Work with other sectors to increase the □ CFS minimum standards

range of group activities by including checklist
options such as hygiene messaging, food
security distributions and environmental
awareness.
Establish a monitoring and evaluation □ M&E guidance — will

system that includes the meaningful further improve to
participation of children, families and ensure families and
communities. communities participate
Conduct outreach to identify and □ Outreach standards

encourage the participation of children □ Job description for
who may generally be excluded from guidance and outreach
group activities. facilitators
Work with relevant actors to (a) develop a □ Guidance for

phase-out or transition plan that connects transitioning and exiting
with broader recovery planning and/or from community
managed transition processes and (b)
inform all stakeholders, including affected
and host communities, about any exit,
transition or handover plans.
*All photos by Jake Lyell
Appendix
OVERVIEW A
3
APPENDIX B: Thematic Community
Messages and Strategies for Outreach
Activities
Appendix B Child-Friendly Spaces

1
Appendix B: Thematic Community Messages
and Strategies
Community Mobilization for Child Protection (CP)
Who to approach within a community:
□ Community leaders
□ Religious leaders
□ Women’s groups
□ Other groups?
It is important to listen to community members in order to understand their

worries regarding CP. What dangers do they see for their children in the current
setting?
Appendix B
2
Key messages on Child Protection
• Give your child extra time and attention, comfort and calm
your child using hugs, stories, prayer and play.
• Listen to your child and help him or her express their feelings,
don’t make false promises, and focus on helping them
understand what is happening in simple, age-appropriate
terms.
• Establish routines through regular bed times, meal times

and play time. Involve your child in educational activities or
recreational activities to help them learn, play and develop.
• Encourage your child to socialize with other children of a

similar age group in a safe place.
• Keep track of any significant changes in your child’s behavior

and speak to someone you trust to access relevant services
for children needing professional support
• Take care of yourself, find ways to deal with your own feelings
and give yourself time to process emotions of fear or feeling
stressed. Seek professional help when needed.
• Children do better when the adults around them are

confident, calm and reassuring. As the parent and caregiver,
you are the most important person in your children’s life. Be
patient with yourself and be reassured that most children
return to their usual selves after some time
• Humanitarian aid is free. You don’t have to pay — not in

money or goods, or by performing any kind of “favor” — to
receive assistance. No one is allowed to ask you for anything
in exchange for humanitarian assistance.

3
Community Mobilization for Unaccompanied/
Separated Children (UASC)
In an emergency families might get separated.

Communities can mobilize through:
□ Family tracing and reunification

□ Interim foster care arrangements
□ Awareness raising
□ Indentification of UASC
Key messages for UASC
• If you have lost your family, keep calm and try to remember the last time you
saw them.
• Ask authorities in the area if they know how to trace family members.
• Know your school or area where you live and keep family members’ phone
numbers with you.
• Know your age and date of birth.
• If you find a lost child during transportation, ask around to see if anybody
knows the child.
• If nobody knows the child, keep him or her with you until you reach your
destination and inform authorities or humanitarian NGOs.
• Humanitarian aid is free. You do not have to pay — not in money or goods, or
by performing any kind of “favor” — to receive assistance. No one is allowed
to ask you for anything in exchange for humanitarian assistance.
• It is important to listen to community members in order to understand their

worries regarding CP. What dangers do they see for their children in the
current setting?
Appendix B
4
Community Mobilization for Gender-based
Violence (GBV)
In an emergency there may be an increase in

GBV, including:
□ Child marriage
□ Sexual exploitation
□ Domestic violence
□ Rape
□ Survival sex
GBV: Key topics to raise during an acute emergency

• Sexual violence risks
• Access to services (especially life-saving health services)
• Activities that can help reduce sexual violence risks for women and girls
Key messages for GBV

• If you have experienced harm, you are not to blame—we are here to help
you.
• If you experience violence, or have in the past, you have the right to receive
help and we are here to help you.
• You have the right to receive care and help from those around you.
• If someone you know is experiencing violence, or has in the past, be

supportive and help him or her access relevant services.
• If you or someone you know has experienced violence, we are here to listen,
you are not to blame, come talk to us.
• Humanitarian aid is free. You do not have to pay — not in money or goods,
or by performing any kind of “favor” — to receive assistance. No one is
allowed to ask you for anything in exchange for humanitarian assistance.

5
APPENDIX C: Child Protection Rapid
Assessment Tool

1
1. Unaccompanied and Separated Children
Are there large numbers of children reported as separated, unaccompanied or missing since the
emergency? If yes:
Reported Cases Total Gender Age Comments

Estimated (check one) (if available)
(if available)
a. Separated □ Mostly boys □<5

children □ Mostly girls □ 6-14
□ Equal □ 15-18
□ Don’t know □ Don’t know
b. Unaccompanied □ Mostly boys □<5
children □ Mostly girls □ 6-14
□ Equal □ 15-18
c. Missing children □ Mostly boys □<5
□ Mostly girls □ 6-14
□ Equal □ 15-18
If yes, what do you think are the main causes of separations that have occurred?
(Select all relevant options and provide more details if possible.)
□ Losing caregivers/children due to medical □ Caregivers voluntarily

evacuation sending children to
institutional care
□ Losing caregivers/children during relocation □ Caregivers voluntarily

sending their children to
work far from parents/
caregivers
□ Caregivers voluntarily sending their children to □ Continued disappearance

extended family/friends of children/caregivers
(i.e. more recent
disappearance)
□ Disappearance of children/caregivers in □ Other (specify)

the immediate aftermath of the event (e.g.
earthquake, attack, etc.)

2
Are there reported incidents of separated children aged 0-5 □ Yes □ No
living without their families?
Do you know what resources are available to help find missing □ Yes □ No
children?
Have you seen any children living on their own? □ Yes □ No

If yes, how many? (Approx.)
Give details:
List any organizations taking care of separated children:
Have there been large population movements? □ Yes □ No

If yes, how many people? (Approx.)
2. Dangers and Injuries
What are the most common causes of child death and injury post-emergency? (e.g.
accidents, open pit latrines, dangerous animals, etc.)
Are boys and girls affected differently? If so, how?
Is there anywhere for injured children to receive medical care? □ Yes □ No

If yes, where is the facility, and what is the location like? What are the safety
considerations?
If no, where are they staying and what is their current situation? How safe is the
current location?
What is the estimated number of child deaths due to the emergency?

3
3. Children’s Educational Needs Comments
Are school buildings damaged? □ Yes □ No

If yes, how many school children are Boys Girls
affected?
What is the extent of disruption caused by the emergency situation?
Will schools be reopened in one month? □ Yes □ No

Number of schools destroyed:
Other information:
How many children are in need of primary education? Boys Girls
Location of the target groups:
Are there existing facilities that could be used for nonformal □ Yes □ No
schooling?
If yes, provide details:
List the organizations that are providing educational support:
Provide any additional details:
Have you identified any additional needs? □ Yes □ No

If yes, provide details:

4
4. Evacuation Centers
Provide exact locations and number of evacuation centers
Location(s): Total number of

evacuation centers:
Approximate number of Infants Children Women Men

evacuated people:
Ratio of space vs. number of # of spaces # of people

people in each center:
Are there enough latrines in the evacuation centers? □ Yes □ No

Number of restrooms and latrines # of restrooms/latrines # of people
vs. number of people:
Are there unmet needs which require additional evacuation assistance?
What are the daily requirements of affected families in the evacuation center(s)?

Number of unaccompanied children in the centers: Boys Girls
Number of separated children in the centers: Boys Girls
Describe the sleeping arrangements in each center:
List the organizations that are providing support for children inside each center:

5
5. Psychosocial Distress and Mental Disorders
What are the biggest/main sources of stress for children in the community? How
are girls and boys affected (if differently)?
□ Attacks □ Lack of □ Trafficking □ Not being able to

shelter return home
□ Being separated □ Sexual □ Tension □ Lack of food

from their friends violence within the
family
□ Other (specify)
What are the biggest/main sources of stress for caregivers in the community?
□ Ongoing conflict □ Lack of □ Lack of □ Violence within

shelter livelihood community
□ Being separated from their friends □ Other (specify)

Is there any open space or play area available for □ Yes □ No
children?
What social groups or institutions in the community can help to provide support
for children and adolescents?
□ Peer groups/ □ Religious □ Siblings □ Neighbors

friends leaders
6. Local Partner Capacity
Does ChildFund have any local partners in the □ Yes □ No □ Closed

area?
Can ChildFund mobilize local partner(s) to respond? □ Yes □ No

6
Local Partner Response Needs:
Training
Financial
Human Resources
Technical expertise

7
APPENDIX D: Planning Checklist for
Initiating Child-Friendly Spaces in the Field
CFS Checklist
2
CFS Checklist
3
CFS Checklist
4
CFS Checklist
5
CFS Checklist
6
CFS Checklist
7

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Child-Friendly Spaces Toolkit

This toolkit was produced with support from:

Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) Overview

Step 1: Planning for CFS

Step 2: Community Engagement and Mobilization

Step 3: CFS Structure and Safety

Step 4: Staff Recruitment and Capacity Building

Step 5: Child Protection Linked to CFS

Step 6: Outreach Program

Step 7: Psychosocal Package

Step 8: Monitoring and Evaluation Component

Step 9: CFS Transition to the Community and Exit

Child-Friendly Spaces Toolkit Overview

The Purpose of This Toolkit

1. Capitalizing on community mobilization and families as the main nucleus for

How to use this toolkit?

An important theme throughout this toolkit is community mobilization, as it

Standard 15: Group activities for child well-being

This toolkit aligns with Standard 15 by providing the following:

Key considerations to decide if a CFS is needed:

Planning for Child-Friendly Spaces

Pg. 3 Guiding note on key considerations for

Pg. 4 Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) needs

Pg. 6 Checklist for country senior management team

Pg. 10 Step-by-step summary for initiating CFSs in the

Pg. 14 CFS Minimum Standards’ Checklist

Planning for Child-Friendly Spaces

Consultation and coordination between the

□ UNICEF and UNHCR/OCHA working groups set up at national, regional,

Planning for Child-Friendly Spaces

• Are there relevant government or UN policies related to

• Are there Guidance Notes or SOPs defined by protection

? • Is there an existing coordination mechanism for community

• Are other INGOs working on CFS programs? If so, what areas

• What is the coordination mechanism between schools/

Child-Friendly Spaces Planning Tools

Planning for Child-Friendly Spaces

Refer to Appendix C: Child Protection Rapid Assessment Tool for ChildFund

Planning for Child-Friendly Spaces

Time: To be discussed in SMT meetings

Access to Excel files are found on ChildFund’s SharePoint site: https://

Planning for Child-Friendly Spaces

1 Have the logistics department and/or

2 Is there adequate logistics/supply

Is there a material procurement

□ Structure supplies (e.g. tents,

□ Site health and safety supplies (e.g.

Are there adequate provisions planned

□ If a water supply system is required,

□ If latrines are required to be built,

□ Consumable health and sanitation

Planning for Child-Friendly Spaces

• Guards (with CP training and

• Fire extinguisher and first aid kits

• Safe lighting and electricity supply

• Cleaning materials for site and

• Safe cooking devices

Is there an appropriate plan in place

• Source appropriate quality tents

• Import tents from emergency