Child-friendly Stuttgart

Children and families can feel comfortable and at home in Stuttgart. This is also ensured by offers and measures of the state capital in cooperation with partners from the city society. Stuttgart was awarded the "Child-Friendly Municipality" seal for its efforts to make the city even more child-friendly.

For children, with children, by children

Around 95,000 children and young people under the age of 18 live in Stuttgart, which is more than 15 percent of the total population - and the trend is rising. A central goal of the state capital is to constantly improve the quality of life and prospects of children and young people. Child-friendliness is a task that must constantly evolve and requires a strong lobby. For a child-friendly city must set its accents in many areas within city life.

Strong partners for a child-friendly Stuttgart

With the Stuttgart City Council and Lord Mayor Dr. Frank Nopper, Stuttgart's children have two partners at their side who, in accordance with the guiding principle "Children's City Stuttgart - for children, with children and by children", are committed to a child-friendly state capital. As the 20th UNICEF Children (opens in a new tab) 's City, Stuttgart also had an impact beyond the city and state borders in 2015/2016: With fundraising campaigns, the state capital supported UNICEF children's aid projects in Turkey, Egypt and Burundi and Stuttgart children with a refugee background.

As a contact and coordination point for the concerns of children and families and their participation in developments and decisions, there is a children' s office and a children's representative in Stuttgart City Hall. This is also where popular campaigns such as the Christmas Tree of Children's Wishes or the Stuttgart Children's Festival under the patronage of Lord Mayor Dr. Frank Nopper are coordinated.

In addition, the Stuttgart Children's Foundation (opens in a new tab) under the umbrella of the Bürgerstiftung Stuttgart (opens in a new tab) and numerous other organizations, institutions and players in the city's society ensure that Stuttgart's children have a strong lobby. The focus is on establishing sustainable networks with the aim of ensuring that no child or young person is lost.

Measures for more child-friendliness

In order to make a city child-friendly, there are many possibilities and, associated with them, many questions: Which focal points should be set? Which cooperations are interesting? How can the children themselves have their say and do something? The measures initiated, coordinated and further developed by the state capital show the importance attached to growing up and (experiencing) life in Stuttgart in a child-friendly way.

The central measures are:

Action plan Child-friendly municipality: Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Child-friendly Stuttgart concept: Measures based on child participation and expert knowledge.

Child participation: Children actively help shape their city.

Children's Office and Children's Representative: Advice, coordination and networking.

Services for families with children at Stuttgart City Hall.

Events and activities for children in and from Stuttgart.

Stuttgart is a "child-friendly municipality

Former Lord Mayor Fritz Kuhn accepted the Child-Friendly Municipality seal at Stuttgart City Hall on March 4, 2020. After Remchingen and Weil am Rhein, Stuttgart was the third municipality in Baden-Württemberg to receive the seal. The city administration also sees the award as a mandate to consistently pursue the path toward becoming a child-friendly city.

Because "a child-friendly city is a livable city. Being child-friendly means respecting the special rights and needs of children and young people. It also means making the voices of those heard who are often dismissed as too small, too young, too inexperienced," said former Lord Mayor Fritz Kuhn at the award ceremony.

The award recognizes the development and implementation of the "Action Plan for the Local Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 2020 to 2022" with its 32 measures as a "Child-Friendly Municipality". Children and young people involved in the measures of the action plan also had their say at the award ceremony.

Detailed information is available at Child-Friendly Municipality and Child-Friendly Municipality Action Plan. Further offers and measures of the state capital in the area of child-friendly Stuttgart can be found in the topic overview.