El Paso enters final steps for UNICEF designation

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso has been selected to enter the final stage for UNICEF's Child Friendly Cities Initiative.

The initiative is a global program that supports local governments in building communities that prioritize children in policy and economic development.

There are only 6 cities in the country who are under consideration for this designation, including Minneapolis and Boulder. Houston is the only other city in Texas with the UNICEF designation.

The city, county, and multiple non-profits are all involved in the initiative. The city also introduced the El Paso Youth Council. They will be a formal advisory group to city leadership, making sure that youth perspectives are heard and integrated into policy development.

"We've been saying for years it's the best place to raise our family, and when you start looking at it on paper, it's not exactly that, right?" said city representative Josh Acevedo. "If we start centering everything on children, we all win as a community."

ABC-7 will have a complete report coming up on ABC-7 at 10.