Child-friendly space setup protocol

Purpose

What a child-friendly space does

Protects children from physical danger and from the risk of abuse
Restores a predictable structure to the day
Provides age-appropriate play, learning and contact with peers
Gives caregivers hours in which their child is safe and they can act
Allows children at risk to be noticed early and referred
Runs with the community, using the community's own capacity

Limits

What it is not

Not a nursery or a childminding service
Not a replacement for school, and it must not delay the return to school
Not a therapy centre; no group therapy takes place
Not a permanent institution — it opens with an exit plan already written
Not a showcase for donor visits and photographs
Not something an untrained volunteer can run alone

Step 1

Choosing the site

The decision to open is taken together with the community itself. Before choosing a site, ask families and children: where can they safely go, which route is risky, which hours work?

Structural safety

An undamaged building or a tent in the open; a damaged building is never used
Away from rubble, pits, traffic and water channels
A safe distance from power lines and generators
Level, non-slip ground with no sharp material

Access

Within walking distance, along a safe route
Accessible by wheelchair
Equal access for girls and boys
Open to all communities, with no discrimination

Facilities

Clean water and a handwashing point
Separate, lockable, lit toilets
Shade, warmth and ventilation
A single supervised entrance and a defined perimeter

A practical measure for size: roughly 3 m² of indoor space per child, and more in the outdoor play area. A crowded space stops being a safe one; if you are over capacity, move to sessions in shifts.

Step 2

Protection standards — not negotiable

Staffing and ratios

At least two adults with every group; no adult is ever alone with a child
Ratios commonly used in the field: one facilitator to 15 children over six, and one to five for under-sixes
Women and men facilitators work together in the team
Facilitators are recruited from the community and trained
Additional support staff are planned when disabled children attend

Child protection rules

Every worker and volunteer signs the child protection policy; references and background checks are carried out
Entry and exit are recorded; a child is released only to a registered caregiver or a person notified in advance
Photography and filming are prohibited; any exception requires the informed consent of the child and caregiver and organisational approval
The reporting route is displayed where everyone can see it: who to tell, how, and within what time
An unaccompanied child is reported to the protection team immediately and never left alone in the space

If any one of these cannot be met, the space does not open. A child-friendly space set up with a missing protection standard is more dangerous than no space at all, because it leads everyone to assume that protection is in place.

Step 3

The daily session — three hours

The sequence is itself the intervention: a day that repeats in the same order tells a child that the world is predictable again. Do not change the order; if you must, say so in advance.

15 min

Welcome and registration

Greeting by name, sign-in, handwashing. Having the same facilitator at the door strengthens the effect of a familiar face.
15 min

Opening circle

The plan for the day is explained, the rules of the space are repeated together, a name game is played. The rules are written with the children and stay on the wall.
45 min

Structured activity

Work in age groups: drawing, music, movement games, stories. No activity asks a child to retell the traumatic event.
20 min

Break — water and a snack

Toilet and handwashing. Allergy information must be on record; distribution is equal and visible.
45 min

Free play

Play the child chooses. The facilitator observes rather than directs. Play that re-enacts the earthquake is not stopped; it is allowed within the bounds of safety.
20 min

Settling

A slow close: breathing games, a quiet story, relaxation. No child should leave the space in a state of high arousal.
20 min

Closing and handover

Tomorrow's plan is announced — which makes the parting easier. The release record is signed. The team then holds a short 20-minute review.

Step 4

Materials

Cushions, matting or rugs; shade cover
Crayons, paper, blunt scissors, glue
Balls, rope, light sports equipment
Building blocks, puzzles, puppets
Story books — in Turkish and other languages
Register, name badges, a wall board
First aid kit and hand sanitiser
A lockable materials cupboard

Step 5

Team training

Child protection policy and reporting route
Basic psychological first aid
Running age-appropriate activities
Including disabled children
Handling discrimination and exclusion
Record keeping and confidentiality
Weekly supervision meeting

Step 6

Monitoring and exit

Daily attendance by age and gender
Follow-up on children who stop coming
Regular feedback from children and families
Number of referrals and their outcome
Hours shifting around the school day as schools reopen
A closing date and handover plan written from the start
Handover to the community: who continues, with what resources

Printable

Pre-opening checklist

Site: Date: Responsible:

Site

Building undamaged, or open site is safe
Single supervised entrance, perimeter defined
Accessible by wheelchair
Clean water and handwashing point
Separate, lockable, lit toilets
Shade / warmth provided
Roughly 3 m² per child

Team and protection

At least two adults per group
Women and men facilitators together
Everyone has signed the child protection policy
References and background checks done
Reporting route displayed on the wall
Entry, exit and release records ready
Photography ban announced to staff and visitors

Operation

Daily session written up and on the board
Rules of the space written with the children
Age groups and shift plan set
Allergy and health information recorded
First aid kit in place and stocked
Referral list current (health, protection, MHPSS)

Community and exit

Site and hours chosen in consultation with the community
Families know the registration and release rule
Feedback and complaints channel announced
Closing date and handover plan in writing
Hours aligned with school reopening

References

Where the information on this page comes from

The protection standards, staffing ratios and monitoring headings are adapted from the sources below. The daily session is TAKDER's recommended practice and may be changed to suit local conditions.

Child protection standards: The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (2019). Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS). alliancecpha.org
Child-friendly space practice: UNICEF & World Vision (2018). Operational Guidance: Community Based Child Friendly Spaces. unicef.org
Psychosocial support framework: Inter-Agency Standing Committee (2007). IASC Guidelines on MHPSS in Emergency Settings. interagencystandingcommittee.org
Water, hygiene and space standards: Sphere Association (2018). The Sphere Handbook. spherestandards.org
Including disabled children: Inter-Agency Standing Committee (2019). Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action. interagencystandingcommittee.org

Links go to the publisher; last accessed 11 September 2026. If you spot an error in a citation, tell us and we will correct it.