Summary
For over 60 years, the U.S. government was a force for improving the lives of vulnerable children around the world, largely through development and humanitarian assistance programs led by USAID. The closure of USAID in early 2025 marked a dramatic reduction in U.S. government foreign assistance programs reaching children, with impact projections estimating up to 14 million additional all-age deaths and 4.5 million additional deaths in children under 5 by 2030 as a result.
This historical overview, written by the collaborative's Associate Director Rebecca Levy, documents milestones in the evolution of the U.S. government’s work to support the development, care, and protection of children globally, as well as coordination efforts across the U.S. government to promote a holistic response to the needs of vulnerable children. It draws on a review of publicly available documentation and conversations with numerous United States Agency for International Development (USAID) staff and partners involved in work on behalf of highly vulnerable children over more than three decades.
A Legacy of Care: Historical Perspectives and Lessons From 35 Years of U.S. Government Support to Children in Adversity
Author: Rebecca Levy
Events: From Recommendations to Collective Action for Children’s Development, Care, and Protection
Tags: Early Childhood Care and Education Early Childhood Development Care Reform Child Protection and Care Violence Against Children and Youth
This report is accompanied by the companion report, "Where Do We Go from Here to Support Children in Adversity? Recommendations from the Front Lines," which synthesizes consultations with over 200 stakeholders from around the world into a set of recommendations to help mitigate the harm from the cuts and strengthen local capacity to support vulnerable children, their families, and communities. It is also complemented by Georgetown University’s Children and Youth Resource Hub, an archive of publicly released tools, guidance, evaluations, learning products, and reports on interagency efforts generated with the support of U.S. taxpayers.