The child in the family

Country examples

© UNICEF/ Lemoyne

A priority of UNICEF’s efforts worldwide is to help empower families to become the best advocates of their children’s rights. The scope of UNICEF’s work with families spans every phase of the life-cycle of a child; from pre-natal through adolescence. Throughout, UNICEF works with families in partnership, using a participatory and rights based approach. UNICEF also promotes gender equality among family members, and strives to protect those children who are living without parental care.

In this section you will find country examples representing different regions  of the world where UNICEF works. These examples also showcase UNICEF’s work for and with families across different functional areas and organizational priorities: Girls’ Education, Immunization Plus, Child Protection, HIV/AIDS, and Early Childhood.

We begin with two country examples that focus on the young child, one from Brazil and one from Malawi.   The two additional examples that follow are from Afghanistan and Gambia and show how UNICEF works through the family to contribute to the survival, development, protection and participation of the school-aged child. Then there are two examples from Jordan and Mongolia that have made important contributions to UNICEF's work with adolescents by including actions that involve their families. Examples from the Maldives and Uruguay have been added to demonstrate ways that UNICEF is working to promote gender equality within the family, and to eliminate gender disparities that still prevail in many countries. Finally, the two examples from Romania and Rwanda focus on efforts made to ensure a family environment for those children who have been seperated from their families. These efforts always begin by reuniting these chikldren with their own families.

The young child in the family

Brazil
Making Rights Count:  A Partnership with Families

Malawi
Community Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (C-IMCI)

The school-aged child in the family

Afghanistan
Girls Education Campaign – Communication with Families

Gambia
The Mothers Club – Girl Friendly School Initiative

The adolescent in the family

Jordan
Promoting Basic Life Skills & Intergenerational Dialogue

Mongolia
Fostering Partnerships with Parents

Gender and the family

Maldives
First Steps – Gender Equality through Early Childhood Development

Uruguay
Gender and Democratic Family Relationships

The child without family care

Romania
Child protection within a family environment 

Rwanda
Protection of orphans and vulnerable children