Liverpool has achieved international recognition as a UNICEF Child Friendly City.
The prestigious recognition from UNICEF UK acknowledges the progress Liverpool has made in embedding children’s rights across services, policies and communities, ensuring that children and young people are listened to, respected and given meaningful opportunities to influence the decisions that affect their lives.
It comes after Ofsted graded the council’s Children’s Services as ‘Good’ following an inspection. They praised “relentless improvements” over the three years since it was rated ‘Inadequate’.
After receiving the positive news that Liverpool has achieved Child Friendly City Status, the Leader of Liverpool City Council, Cllr Liam Robinson, is set to announce the creation of a new ‘Youth Parliament’ in Liverpool next week at the full council meeting on Wednesday 29 July.
The parliament will be tasked with developing a Child Friendly City ‘manifesto’ with ideas and initiatives children and young people want to see introduced in the city.
Key achievements by Liverpool on their way to becoming a Child Friendly City include:
- A commitment to ensuring children and young people have greater influence over the decisions that affect their lives.
- Improvements to outdoor environments and opportunities for play through park redevelopments, tree planting activities, Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) outdoor play sessions, and the introduction of smoke-free play areas and sidelines.
- The introduction of Liverpool’s pioneering free school meals auto-enrolment programme, through which more than 700 children were identified as eligible for free school meals, generating almost £1 million in additional Pupil Premium funding for schools.
- The delivery of twelve Family Hubs across the city, providing a one-stop-shop of coordinated support for all children and families right in the heart of their communities.
- 89.9% of Liverpool nurseries and 86.2% of Liverpool Childminders are OFSTED rated good or above, providing a quality foundation to education for our children.
- 47 schools across Liverpool have rolled out Phase 1 or 2 free breakfast clubs, ensuring all our children have access to a high-quality, nutritious breakfast to support their education.
- In the year 2025-2026, Liverpool commissioned 85,758 HAF places, providing 9389 children and young people with access to healthy meals, enrichment activities and play across the city.
- Recently launched free Lifestyles Leisure passes for all children aged 8-17 in Liverpool, promoting good physical health and emotional wellbeing; supported by £5.18m to modernise Lifestyle Leisure centres across the cit
- Investment in youth services has doubled, which means that £1m more is available to support youth workers in the communities that need them most
- Over £600,000 has been invested into improving playgrounds with new or upgraded equipment, improving green spaces and securing popular community assets
- Children’s rights training has been embedded within Liverpool City Council, providers and partner organisations across the city.
- In partnership with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the city has supported young people with care experience through free travel passes. Across the Liverpool City Region, more than 1,600 passes have been issued, including over 600 for Liverpool care leavers. The scheme has already supported more than 200,000 bus journeys, helping young people travel with dignity, confidence and independence.
While celebrating this achievement, Liverpool City Council has stressed that becoming a Child Friendly City is not a badge – it is a commitment to ongoing change.
Cllr Liz Parsons, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Services, said: “We are incredibly proud that Liverpool has achieved UNICEF Child Friendly City status. This international recognition reflects the dedication of children and young people, families, schools, community organisations and council teams and partners across the city.
“Most importantly, this achievement belongs to Liverpool’s children and young people. Their voices are shaping decisions across the city and helping us build services that are designed with them, not for them.
“Child Friendly City status recognises progress, not perfection. We know there is more to do, but this recognition shows that Liverpool is a city where children’s rights matter and where we are committed to creating the best possible opportunities for every child and young person.
“This is not a badge – it is a commitment to ongoing change, and we look forward to continuing that journey together.”
Jenny Glennard, Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Services at Liverpool City Council added: “From the design of parks and public spaces to shaping policies and services, children and young people in Liverpool are increasingly helping to shape the city around them.
“UNICEF’s recognition and Ofsted’s findings both demonstrate that Liverpool is moving in the right direction. They show what can be achieved when we listen to children and young people, invest in services and work together across the city to improve outcomes.
“The next phase of work will continue to strengthen how children’s voices shape the city and its services.
“The council and its partners will also continue to embed children’s rights across services, ensuring that every child and young person can access safe spaces, opportunities to thrive and a genuine voice in decisions affecting their lives.”
Frances Bestley, Director of Programmes, UNICEF UK said: “Recognition as a Child Friendly City is a fantastic achievement for Liverpool and reflects the city’s commitment to creating a place where children feel safe, supported and able to thrive.
“It’s particularly encouraging to see real progress being made, from improvements to play areas and green spaces, to more children receiving free school meals and the opening of 12 new Family Hubs.
“This milestone is not just a celebration of what has been achieved so far – it’s a commitment to keep building on that progress – ensuring every child and young person is listened to, supported and given the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
