To further promote the development of Hangzhou as a child-friendly city, enhance the capacity of social organizations providing child services, and guide more social organizations to engage in child-friendly initiatives, the first empowerment and cultivation event for child-friendly social organizations in Hangzhou took place on May 27 at the New Era Consultative Democracy Practice Center, hosted by the Hangzhou Municipal Committee of the CPPCC.

Organized by the Hangzhou Women’s Federation and co-organized by Hangzhou URKIDS and the CCFU2089 Child-Friendly Development Center, the event attracted leaders from over 40 social organizations.

Keynote speaker Shi Luyin, Founder and Chief Culture Officer of URKIDS, Director of the CCFU2089 Child-Friendly Development Center, and Editor-in-Chief of the Child-Friendly Practical Cases in China presented on “The 2024 Ten Child-Friendly Measures in Hangzhou” and “Ways and Innovations for Social Organizations to Participate in Child-Friendly City Construction.”

Mr. Shi highlighted the importance of diverse participation and collaboration, stressing the need to strengthen social organizations dedicated to child services. By providing concrete examples, he showcased various approaches for social organizations to engage in this area and identified opportunities for cross-sector innovation. He also shared practical reflections on achieving the “Children First” principle and called for greater participation from social organizations to contribute to child-friendly city development.

Xie Jiangying, former President of the Yuhang District Social Workers Association and former Executive Vice President of the Linping District Social Work Federation, presented on “Co-Creating Happy Communities through Child-Friendly Social Organizations—Hangzhou’s Experience.”

Drawing on comprehensive data and vivid case studies, Ms. Xie introduced the concept of child-friendliness, top-level planning, community-based practices, and the application of the “Five-Society Linkage” mechanism in building child-friendly cities. She detailed policy benefits, community governance strategies, spatial planning, and the promotion of child group participation. Her focus on collaborative, multi-departmental efforts to build, govern, and share communities aims to foster children’s overall development and create happy communities. The presentation provided practical insights and actionable guidance for social organization leaders.

Zhang Yingxia, Secretary/Director of the Chengdu Shuangliu District Aijia Social Work Service Center, Public Welfare Mentor for Women and Children in Chengdu, and member of the Child-Friendly Expert Committee of the Chengdu Women and Children Social Organization Alliance, shared her presentation on “The Practice of Social Organizations in Assisting the Creation of Child-Friendly Communities—Chengdu’s Experience.”

Ms. Zhang elaborated on Chengdu’s framework and practical guidelines for developing child-friendly communities, covering areas such as the establishment of child participation mechanisms, the formation of children’s observation groups, service provisions, rights protection, spatial design, and cultural atmosphere building. She also provided standards and methodologies for evaluation, as well as operational guidelines for children’s observation groups. Ms. Zhang underscored the essential knowledge and skills necessary for building child-friendly communities, including concepts, values, communication techniques, and resource integration. Her insights served as practical guidance for child service social organizations in Hangzhou.

The series of capacity-building and empowerment activities for child-friendly social organizations in Hangzhou will continue, aiming to effectively enhance the enthusiasm and professional expertise of these organizations in contributing to Hangzhou’s development as a child-friendly city.