Child Centered Programs

Plan recognizes that no child lives in isolation, and for the child to truly benefit in any meaningful way, the basics of a stable and healthy community must come first.

Plan is dedicated to working directly with children, their families and communities in devising, implementing and evaluating development projects that provide long lasting improvements.

Child-centered community development is the term we use to describe how we aim to do our development work. It's a rights-based approach to development where we support communities to develop the structures and skills they need to provide a safe and healthy environment in which children are able to realize their full potential.

With Plan's support, the communities themselves — with the participation of children — decide their priorities, take responsibility for the running of projects, and maintain the drive to sustain the projects. Plan also ensures community projects and new areas of program operation are considered in the context of government and other development initiatives.

From the moment of starting up operations in a community, Plan aims to strengthen families' skills for leading their own development, independently, until our help is no longer needed. Plan phases out of communities — and countries — when its work has sufficiently helped families to step forward more confidently on their road to sustainable development.

When children and adults together are part of the change process, projects are more likely to be successful and sustainable.

Learn more about Plan's work to strengthen the capacity of children and youth through increased child participation.