UNICEF’s 2006 report on the State of the World's Children focuses on excluded and invisible children who have no access to essential services, protection and participation. The sad reality of many of the world’s children set me reflecting upon the visibility of children in my own town.

To walk into my house, there would be little doubt that children are a focus: that they are valued and highly visible. To walk down my street, many houses wear children’s toys as a sign of “Children live here.” My local shopping village however, does not make children visible. A trendy little spot, I was unable to find a single sign that suggested visibility of children, let only being a child friendly place.

Some months ago, I facilitated a Child Protection forum in a beautiful holiday spot called Port Douglas. A place of stunning natural beauty, diversity, and a playground for the rich and famous, local people were concerned about the hidden child protection issues. Proactive and dedicated, they looked for a way to raise the profile of their most precious resource: the town’s children.

One young psychologist aptly raised the question: Where are our children? A drive around the beautiful town confirmed for me that Port Douglas offered few external signs of being child friendly. It was almost as though children were invisible to visitors. While this does not mean that the children were being hidden, or abused, it reflects a value that children are not as important as the tourist dollar.

The more I have remained conscious of the external signs of community friendliness toward children, the more I have noticed that the friendliness occurs in pockets. It is almost as though business, development and tourism reject children unless there is a financial gain in catering to the needs of children.

Our children are not a commodity to be bought and sold. Our children are a more important natural resource than oil, water, gas or eco tourism. Our children are our sustainable future and have a leading role in helping us manage the other mentioned natural resources that are becoming endangered. We need our children. We need to protect them, to make them visible, to give them a voice.

Look around your community. What are the signs you see that make children visible? Are there well-serviced parks with trees and playground equipment? Children’s artwork proudly displayed on the sides of buses? Stores that cater for families with young children? Interactive display’s that help children retain new knowledge? The list is endless.

When will children be visible in our developed worlds: When we start looking for the signs of a child friendly community and take action to replace child unfriendliness with the high profile of children’s needs.

Other Topical Whensday blogs by Megan Bayliss:

Topical Whensday: When Will YOU Tee On to Cause an Effect?

Topical Whensday: When will YOU wear a Colored Tee to Recognize Violence Against Women and Children.