Prince George's Wants To Be More Kid-Friendly

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Tuesday was International Youth Day. To celebrate, Prince George's County partnered with the United Nations Children's Fund to make the area a child-friendly community.

The commitment, called the Child Friendly Cities Initiative, has participants around the globe, but it first launched in the United States on Tuesday. Prince George's was the first county in the nation to join. Houston, Minneapolis and San Francisco also enrolled in the compact the same day.

The four jurisdictions will study the well-being of children in their area. They will analyze local children's education, health care, recreation, representation and safety. The municipalities will then implement policies that keep kids in mind.

After completing the two-year process, Prince George's County will join more than 3,000 localities in more than 40 countries as child-friendly neighborhoods.

To determine if a community is fit for youth, UNICEF encourages asking kids these questions:

• Do they feel safe? Can they go to a doctor when they are sick?
• Do they like their school?
• Are there plenty of parks and playgrounds where they can go and meet up with friends?
• Do people listen to them when they talk — their teachers, parents, coaches?
• Do they feel — most of the time — like they get their fair share?

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