Children are experts in their own lives and experiences. The Child-friendly Communities Engagement Framework helps organisations, services and practitioners listen to children aged 6–12 about what makes their community child-friendly — and what could be improved. 

The Framework supports users to develop localised, age-appropriate consultation and engagement tools that reflect their community context. 

Originally developed for the Australian Government Department of Social Services’ Communities for Children Facilitating Partners Program, the Framework was co-designed by ARACY in 2025 with a Working Group of Communities for Children Facilitating Partners. Version 1.0 was then tested with a self-selected group of Facilitating and Community Partners between November 2025 and June 2026. 

What this Framework will help you do 

After using this Framework, you will have:

1. Identify your role in creating a child-friendly community, and clarify why and how you want to engage with children. 
2. Develop and use a flexible, child-centred engagement tool to hear from children aged 6–12 about what makes their community child-friendly, and where it could improve. 
3. Interpret children’s feedback and plan next steps in a way that is strengths-based, collaborative and focused on children’s experiences. 
4. Create pathways for children’s voices to influence your work, including services, policies, monitoring and evaluation, advocacy, and partnerships. 

Principles for engaging safely and meaningfully with children 

This Framework is guided by principles for listening to children and supporting their participation in ways that are safe, respectful, inclusive and meaningful. 

Practitioners and organisations should ensure that: 

• engagement is consistent with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and relevant child safe regulations and standards in their jurisdiction. 

• children are given Space, Voice, Audience and Influence, in line with the Lundy Model of Participation. 

• children are supported by trusted adults who have the skills, knowledge and support needed to engage with children safely and respectfully. 

• children feel comfortable, safe and secure throughout the process. 

• parent or guardian consent is obtained, and children are asked in age-appropriate ways whether they want to take part. Children’s agreement should be checked throughout the process and not assumed. 

• children understand that participation is voluntary, and that they can pause or stop taking part at any time. 

• the cultural safety of participating children and their families is actively supported and protected. 

How to use this Framework 

The Framework is designed to be practical and flexible. You can work through it from start to finish, or move between sections depending on your organisation’s purpose, context and stage of planning. 

It guides you through four interconnected stages: 

• Understand your role in creating a child-friendly community, and clarify why you want to engage with children. 

• Plan safe and meaningful engagement by considering your purpose, the people who should be involved, where engagement will take place, and what safeguards and supports are needed. 

• Develop and implement a localised engagement tool using the statements, prompts and example activities provided in the Framework and appendices. 

• Make sense of what children share and take action, including identifying insights, planning next steps, and feeding back to children about how their views have been considered. 

Remember: The process does not need to be linear. You may return to earlier sections, adapt activities, or use selected worksheets and prompts as needed. What matters is that engagement is safe, purposeful, respectful, and creates clear pathways for children’s views to influence decisions that affect them.

The Child-Friendly Engagement Framework is composed of 4 sections: