The Holistic Child Development ministry of the Philippines-Micronesia Field spearheaded a webinar about setting up and managing a child-friendly space during emergencies last 6 September 2025. More than ninety volunteers, teachers, and lay workers from various regions joined the webinar to equip themselves in supporting children, who are among the most vulnerable during calamities.
Rev. Jackson Natividad, one of the webinar speakers, emphasized that a Child-Friendly Space (CFS) should be safe and nurturing, where children can receive support especially during emergencies. Moreover, CFS should also mobilize the church in protecting the rights of children, offering both psychosocial support and spiritual care. He also highlighted Mark 10:14, which shows the biblical direction to protect children and how CFS serves as a great manifestation of how compassionate our God is.
Aside from this, Ms. Daisy Fuentes discussed different materials that can be utilized in CFS. She introduced “There is Hope,” an interactive recovery handbook that helps children process their feelings after a calamity through activities such as storytelling, art, and play. She also discussed Operation SAFE, a structured program that uses stories, Bible verses, games, crafts, and group activities to provide psychosocial support and remind children of God’s love and protection. These materials and resources equip participants—volunteers, teachers, and church workers—to design spaces that are caring and nurturing so that children may experience comfort and hope in the aftermath of calamities.
This webinar emphasized that Child-Friendly Spaces should be more than a temporary haven for children. These are places of healing and hope for children in times of calamities and crisis. As the church and community join together to respond with compassionate hearts, let us continue to advocate and pray that every child, especially those affected by calamities, may experience protection and unwavering hope in God’s love.
