Color the World: An Urban Approach to Supporting Babies, Toddlers, and Their Caregivers in Times of COVID-19
When: July 23rd, 2 pm CEST
Duration: 90 minutes
The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting every aspect of today’s life and every person in the world. However, the youngest citizens face some of the greatest risks and for many of them their wellbeing, lifelong health and learning are under threat. Around the globe, young children living together with their families in vulnerable locations are disproportionally affected by the crisis. This includes families living in disadvantaged neighborhoods, in heavily polluted urban areas, in refugee settings, in informal settlements or even without a home. These families often suffer from additional non-spatial vulnerabilities such as the loss of income due to COVID-19, violence in the home, mental health issues or discriminations.
The limited access to essential early childhood services, restricted mobility and, in many countries the denied access to nature, public and play spaces is translated in lack of opportunities for outdoor play, peer interactions and increased stress for both young children and their caregivers.
The COVID–19 crisis changed children’s living settings in an unpreceded way. The pandemic mitigation measures emphasized the critical need for prioritizing young children within the environments where they live and grow, and stressed even more the urgency to use the early childhood development lenses when planning and managing public spaces, mobility, play spaces and urban spaces in general.
Under the ongoing Urban95 initiative, the Bernard van Leer Foundation united experts from different fields such as early childhood professionals, urban planners, architects, engineers and city managers to address not only the short-term but especially the long-term impact of COVID-19 on creating safe and at the same time inspiring living environments for young citizens and their caregivers.
You should join us for this webinar if you care about the living environments for children and families and:
- Want to learn more about what can cities do to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on young children and their caregivers.
- Want to get inspired by examples on how to ensure safe mobility during and beyond the crisis, and how to create child friendly streets and places for play from the Streets for Children Project and Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery efforts initiative.
- Are interested in learning about a new approach to support babies, toddlers and their caregivers living in vulnerable urban contexts such as informal settlements and refugee settlements from the Inclusive and Resilient Cities and the Proximity of Care Framework.
- Are open to reflect on the lessons learned and their implications for the future of creating more friendly living environments for children and their caregivers.
- Want to get involved in lively chats and discussions with panellists and peers from around the globe!
Moderators:
Zorica Trikic, Senior Program Manager, ISSA
Julien Vincelot, Urban95 Coordinator, Bernard van Leer Foundation
Panelists:
- Daniella Ben-Attar, Israel Representative of the Bernard van Leer Foundation
- Simon Battisti, Director of Qendra Marrëdhënie (Relationship Center)
- William Newton, Senior Researcher at Arup
- Ankita Chachra, Senior Program Manager at National Association of City Transportation Officials’ (NACTO’s) Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI)
Futher reading
- Proximity of Care Framework – Arup
- Six ways cities can support babies, toddlers and their caregivers during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, the Bernard van Leer Foundation
- Streets for Kids- Global Streets Designing Cities Initiative from National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
- The Urban95 initiative with different publications and resources, the Bernard van Leer Foundation
- UNICEF Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on children
- Design guidelines for streets during the pandemic –not directly related to young kids.
- Primokiz approach –supporting municipalities and cities to develop comprehensive Early Childhood Strategies.
Watch the webinar recording
Download the webinar presentation (PDF)
ECD resources related to COVID-19
Find additional ECD resources related to COVID-19 here
