An kirkiro UNICEF ne a shekarar ta 1946 domin samar da agaji ga yara a kasashen da yakin duniya na biyu ya lalata. Bayan shekara ta 1950 asusun ya ba da himma zuwa ga shirye-shiryen gama gari don inganta jin daɗin yara, musamman a ƙasashe waɗanda ba su ci gaba ba da kuma cikin yanayi na gaggawa. Babban aikin kungiyar ya bayyana a cikin sunan da ta karba a shekara ta 1953, Asusun Yara na Majalisar Dinkin Duniya. An bai wa UNICEF UNICEF ta mayar da hankali sosai a kokarinta a fannonin da karamin kashe kudi zai iya yin tasiri ga rayuwar yara kanana da ke cikin mawuyacin hali, kamar rigakafi da maganin cututtuka. Dangane da wannan dabarar, UNICEF na tallafawa shirye-shiryen rigakafi don cututtukan yara da shirye-shirye don hana bazuwar HIV / AIDS; tana kuma samar da kudade don ayyukan kiwon lafiya, wuraren ilimi, da sauran ayyukan jin dadi. Tun daga shekara ta 1996 aka tsara shirye-shiryen UNICEF ta Yarjejeniyar kan Hakkokin Yaro a shekara ta (1989), wanda ke tabbatar da haƙƙin yara duka "jin daɗin mafi girman matsayin kiwon lafiya da kuma wuraren kulawa da rashin lafiya da kuma gyara lafiyar. .