Kids Impact Initiative and UNICEF USA are working to strengthen young people’s involvement when decisions are made in their communities that affect them. A current focus is supporting young people to do their own child impact statements on issues they want to influence—ranging from public transportation routes, to parks, or cell phone use at school.
Based on a successful pilot, a growing number of youth councils, after-school programs, and youth clubs across the country are finding they can learn research, leadership, advocacy, and teamwork skills by doing child impact statement projects.
Following are guidance and resources for youth groups and adults working with them who want to organize child impact statement projects.
Starter Information
- How to Give Youth a Meaningful Voice in Policies That Affect Them
- Child Impact Statements Are the Policy Tool America Is Missing
- How to Bring Youth-Led Child Impact Statements to Your Youth Clubs and Councils
- Youth-Friendly Child Impact Statement Toolkit (En español)
Examples of Youth-Led Child Impact Statements
Tulsa, Oklahoma Youth Council
Members of the Tulsa Youth Council used the Youth-Friendly Child Impact Statement Toolkit (en español) as a starting point, adapting it to fit their own priorities and goals. Following are three of the youth’s chosen areas of focus, which they presented to their City Council:
Access a summary of all eight of the Youth Council’s 2026 Youth Impact Statements, co-written by one of the youth and the adult ally who supported their work.
Tools You Can Use
- Youth-Friendly Child Impact Statement Toolkit (En español)
- Child Impact Statement Questions (Editable template)
- Examples of topics from UNICEF clubs
- Tips for Adult Allies Supporting Youth-Led Impact Assessments
- Resources to Identify Policies and Proposals
- General Data Sources
- Data Sources by Race and Ethnicity
- Diversity Data Kids including the Child Opportunity Index 3.0
- National Equity Atlas including the Racial Equity Index
- The Opportunity Atlas