| |
| Introduction |
|
Welcome to the U.S. Government’s Children in Adversity Updates, the updated bi-monthly e-newsletter released by Public Law 109-95 [PDF, 45KB], which has a mandate to ensure that U.S. Government efforts in this regard are coordinated, comprehensive, and effective. You are receiving this e-newsletter because of your previous interest on the topic of children in adversity. The term “children in adversity” is defined by the contextual reality that undergirds and unites children across all vulnerability categories. As a conceptual framework, it encourages actors to consider how to address vulnerability systemically, both through strategic integration and specialized and targeted assistance.
If you do not wish to receive Children in Adversity Updates, you may unsubscribe at any time. Please forward this e-newsletter on to anyone you know who may be interested.
|
| |
 |
| |
Source: Columbia Universit |
Welcome Dr. Neil Boothby
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the appointment of Dr. Neil Boothby as the U.S. Government Special Advisor and Senior Coordinator to the USAID Administrator on Children in Adversity. In this role, Dr. Boothby will fulfill the legislative mandate set forth in Public Law 109-95: Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005, which calls for a coordinated, comprehensive, and effective response on the part of the U.S. Government to the world’s most vulnerable children.
|
| Protecting the Future |
Evidence Summit
 |
|
| Source: USAID/Global Health |
|
Participants at the U.S. Government’s 2011 Evidence Summit on Protecting Children Outside of Family Care praised the event, calling it a noteworthy endeavor. The Evidence Summit was listed as one of the top "Eleven Global Health Events in 2011.”
Having more than 150 of the world’s greatest advocates for children attend the summit was a groundbreaking achievement. They represented leading nongovernmental and international organizations, academic institutions, private partners, a multitude of U.S. Government agencies and departments, and practitioners from around the world. Read A Call for Coordinated and Evidence-Based Action to Protect Children Outside of Family Care [PDF, 224KB] a commentary published by The Lancet on the commitment of 10 senior interagency leaders across the U.S. Government to establish guiding principles and a national strategy on protecting children in adversity – the first of its kind – by July 2012.
One of the scientific cornerstones to come out of the Evidence Summit was the expanding evidence that early environmental influences significantly affect learning capacities, adaptive behaviors, lifelong physical and mental health, and adult productivity. Developmental risks - such as poor nutrition, abuse, neglect, lack of stimulation and extreme stress - essentially alter gene expression, changing parts of the brain, and result in profoundly negative impacts on a child’s life.
This science attests to three critical points:
- A child development is the foundation for both community and economic development.
- Growing up in impoverished-unsafe conditions is associated with significant threats to physical and mental health and cognitive potential.
- Failure to address conditions that limit prospects of children seriously undermines the social and economic development sought be all nations.
Learn more:
|
|
U.S. Government National Action Plan
An International Strategy on Children in Adversity
| |
 |
| |
Source: Andy Curt |
The U.S. Government is currently developing a National Action Plan for Children in Adversity through an interagency team of representatives from across U.S. departments and agencies. The plan will be issued in July 2012 and be opened to consultation from additional partners at that time. This document reflects five whole-of-government priorities:
- Promote early childhood development: Recognizing that child development is the foundation for community development and economic development, the U.S. Government National Action Plan will mainstream early childhood development interventions within health, nutrition and community systems programs.
- Strengthen families: Recognizing that the family is central to healthy child development, the U.S. Government National Action Plan will seek to enable vulnerable families to care for their children, prevent unnecessary family-child separation, and support alternative care systems.
- Protect children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect: Recognizing the strong evidence on the negative effects of severe and prolonged childhood adversity on adult outcomes, the U.S. Government National Action Plan will reinforce the efforts of national governments, communities and partners to protect children from violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect.
- Strengthen child protection systems: Recognizing that strong child protection systems are important to sustainable solutions, the U.S. Government National Action Plan will promote programs that are nationally owned and community based, addressing the inter-relationships between policy and legislation; government and community; community; family; and individual, formal, and informal structures and protective environments.
- Promote evidence-based policies and programs: Recognizing the need and commitment to ground policies, strategies, and programs in research evidence, the U.S. Government National Action Plan will devote resources to building and maintaining a strong evidence base on which future activities can be effectively planned and implemented.
Protecting the Future Alliance
 |
|
| Source: Duke Institute of Global Health |
|
Protecting the Future Alliance is envisioned as an innovative alliance model for improving the security and well-being of children growing up in severe deprivation and danger. It seeks to reach critical protection and childhood development goals more quickly, cost-efficiently, sustainably, and at wider scale through innovation and partnership. A set of common objectives is emerging around the U.S. Government’s National Action Plan through discussions with public-private and bilateral donors and senior representatives from priority countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. A tentative February 2013 prelaunch gathering at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center would serve to finalize a set of impact-oriented objectives and indicators.
Center of Excellence on Children in Adversity
In response to the U.S. Government’s National Action Plan and, more specifically, to its fifth objective, USAID has committed to the creation of a Center of Excellence on Children in Adversity. The Center of Excellence will be a collaborative effort within USAID to ensure evidence-based best practices are at the heart of the U.S. Government’s development agenda. It will focus on girls and boys under the age of 18 years who are growing up in conditions of serious and continued deprivation or danger. More information will become available as The Center of Excellence takes shape.
|
|
|
