Below are relevant publications prepared by leading advocacy and research organizations.
A study published in The Lancet (August 2021) estimates that 1.5 million children worldwide have experienced the death of a parent, custodial grandparent, or other relative who cared for them, as a result of COVID-19. The study, co-authored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and several leading universities, examines how these children are at risk of profound short- and long-term adverse effects on their health, safety, and well-being. The co-authors and respective institutions, including USAID, jointly issued the report, “Children: The Hidden Pandemic 2021 – A joint report of COVID-19- associated orphanhood and a strategy for action,” outlining the study findings and the recommended response. To access more, click: here and here.
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Mind Matters: Lessons from Past Crises for Child and Adolescent Mental Health during COVID-19, UNICEF (2021). This report states that the COVID 19 pandemic is a crisis like no other in modern times. Its global ubiquity is unprecedented, leaving no population or community untouched. Its impact on our mental health, and that of children and adolescents, is still emerging but the available evidence suggests it is, and will be, marked. Given that the pandemic is just over a year old and its evidence base is therefore still nascent, looking at the impact of past crises on youth mental health is a useful means of providing insights that can guide policies and programmes to support their mental well-being. This report does just that. It represents the first of two volumes of rapid syntheses on youth mental health by UNICEF Innocenti, with the second looking at the available evidence that has emerged largely over the past year. For more information, click: here. To download the report, click: here.
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The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis: Children’s Climate Risk Index, UNICEF (August 2021). The report finds that nearly every child on earth is already exposed to at least one climate and environmental hazard, such as flooding, heatwaves, water scarcity, drought, cyclones and air pollution. Approximately 1 billion children -- nearly half the world's 2.2 billion children -- live in one of the 33 countries classified as 'extremely high risk.' These children face a deadly combination of exposure to multiple climate and environmental shocks with a high vulnerability due to inadequate essential services, such as water and sanitation, healthcare and education. To access more information, click: here. To download the report, click: here.
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No Time To Waste: Improving Diets, Services and Practices for the Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment of Wasting in Early Childhood, UNICEF (April 2021). Over the past two decades, the world has reduced the proportion of children suffering from undernutrition by one third – or an astonishing 55 million. This proves that progress is possible. Yet growing poverty and inequality, conflict, climate change and the impacts of COVID-19 are combining to stall and even subvert progress made in recent years. Children suffering from wasting are some of the most vulnerable children on the planet. They are the poorest of the poor, the youngest of the young and often left behind by mainstream development. UNICEF's ‘No Time to Waste’ highlights key practical challenges to reaching the 10 million children most vulnerable to life-threatening wasting that go untreated every year, by focusing on results that will accelerate and improve the prevention, early detection and treatment of child wasting. The report includes a clear package of measures to scale up the five core components required to prevent, detect and treat wasting:
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If I Disappear: A Global Report on Protecting Young People in Civic Space, United Nations Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. This research, which was led by an Independent Senior Human Rights Expert, in collaboration with the Protection Working Group under the Global Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security (co-chaired by Search for Common Ground), builds on the tireless advocacy efforts of those young people, policy and decision-makers, civil society organizations, academics, artists, and others, who have tried to bring concerns about their shrinking civic space to the attention of the international community. It intends to fill some of the existing information gaps and offers recommendations for better protection of youth. To access the report and more, click: here
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Mission to Recover Education 2021: The time to act is now. The future of an entire generation is at stake. Disruptions to education systems since early 2020 have already driven substantial losses and inequalities in learning, and this is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused abrupt and profound changes around the world. More than 1.6 billion children have lost instructional time for many months at a time, if not for much of the last year, and many children are still not back in school. However, simply reopening schools is not enough. Students will need tailored and sustained support to help them readjust and catch-up after the pandemic. UNICEF, UNESCO and World Bank have joined forces to launch Mission Recovery Education 2021 focusing on three priorities:
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As part of the Global Education Summit, GCE-US and partners organized several side events focused on inclusive education, including one entitled "A Roadmap to Inclusive Early Childhood Care and Education" which highlighted the importance of inclusive early for marginalized children and those with disabilities. This event highlighted the importance of inclusive early learning for marginalized children, particularly those with disabilities. Attendants joined us for lessons learned in policy, financing, and implementation, including tools and examples from a variety of contexts that include adaptations made during COVID. A panel discussion and interactive activities allowed participants to share experiences and identify ways that promising practices can be replicated in different resource settings. To view the expert presentations, click: here.
The Global Action Week for Education featured talks from LeAnna Marr of USAID, Yasmine Sherif of Education Cannot Wait, and contributions from partners including ONE Campaign, UNICEF USA, Global Partnership for Education, and Magis Americas. The full recording is available here.
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Reimagining WASH: Water Security for All, UNICEF (March 2021) Today, 1.42 billion people – including 450 million children – live in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability. Less than 3 per cent of the world’s water resources is freshwater, and it is growing increasingly scarce. This document outlines what drives water insecurity, the impact on children, and the actions we need to take now to achieve water security for all. Accompanying this document are two technical reports: Programmatic approaches to water scarcity and Urban water scarcity guidance note. To access more information, click: here. To download the report, click: here.
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Strengthening Inclusion Strategies for Children with Disabilities (CWD) within the Context of Care Reform. Author: Gwendolyn Burchell MBE for UAFA in partnership with GHR Foundation (February 2021). This paper explores the reasons why a strategic approach to inclusion in care reform is essential, makes the case for defining three pillars for successful inclusion policy, and offers recommendations for a sustainable model and practice. "When you build a system for children with disabilities, you build a system that works for all children." To download the paper, click: here.
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FY 2022: Choose to Invest in Development and Humanitarian Action, InterAction. This resource attempts to demystify what and how the U.S. Government funds overseas by providing information across 52 accounts funded through the annual appropriations process, primarily in the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Bill. We have also included programs on safeguarding international food security funded by the Agriculture Appropriations Bill and international labor and health protections funded by the Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. Each account includes its funding history and a recommended funding level for this year based on the experience and expertise of InterAction’s coalition—the voice of nearly 200 humanitarian and development non-governmental organizations (NGOs). To access more, click: here
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Averting a lost COVID generation, UNICEF (November 2020). This report offers a six-point plan to respond, recover and reimagine a post-pandemic world for every child. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the impact of the virus on the world’s children and young people is becoming clearer – and increasingly alarming. Children face a trifecta of threats: direct consequences of the disease itself, interruption in essential services and increasing poverty and inequality. Despite being less affected than any other age group, emerging data suggest that children and young people’s health may be more directly impacted by COVID-19 than originally anticipated when the crisis began in late 2019. Disruptions to essential services such as education, health care, nutrition and child protection interventions are harming children. A severe global economic recession is impoverishing children and compounding deep pre-existing inequalities and exclusion. To access more information, click: here. To download the report, click: here.
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Children's Budget 2020, First Focus on Children. The Children’s Budget 2020 finds that the overall federal share of investments in children dropped from 8.19 percent in fiscal year (FY) 2016 to just 7.48 percent in FY 2020. This represents a decrease in the share of federal spending dedicated to children of 9 percent over the period. This year’s Children’s Budget includes, for the first time, an analysis of how the federal budget impacts children in spending when it comes to our international affairs budget, which is spent across seven departments and agencies, including the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). We estimate the children’s share of that spending at around 9 percent and find that this funding is so limited it only reflects about 0.11 percent of the overall federal budget. These dollars are dedicated to helping address the global needs of children.To access publication and more, click: here
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2020 Progress Report on the Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016–2030). This joint report reflects the activities of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The report notes that in the one decade since the launch of this initiative "maternal mortality and child marriages were declining and more children lived to see their first birthday than at any time in history...COVID-19 is now compounding global challenges, including humanitarian and climate crises, and putting the progress that has been achieved at grave risk...After focusing on women, child and adolescent health for a decade, we know what works. We must protect the progress that has been made, through continued support for the global partnerships that have advanced the SDGs for some of the world’s most vulnerable people." Statement by António Guterres, United Nations Secretary General. To access the report, click: here. For the brief, click: here.
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2020 Champions and Defenders For Children Legislative Scorecard: 116th Congress- 2nd Session, First Focus on children. The scorecard ranks policymakers according to votes and bill sponsorships taken during the first session of the 116th Congress that prioritize the well-being of our nation’s children. The 25-page report examines key pieces of legislation on children’s health insurance, child hunger, homelessness, child abuse and neglect, tax credits and other issues critical to advancing the needs of our kids and families. The report names 40 Senators and 80 Representatives, from both parties, as Champions or Defenders for children in the 116th Congress. To access the report, click: here.
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Children's Agenda for the 117th Congress, First Focus on Children. The Children's Agenda urges policymakers to support and champion the comprehensive list of policy concerns of importance to children and youth. The 52-page, 14 section, Agenda emphasizes that every issue is a kids’ issue whether it be health care, poverty, nutrition, safety, immigration, housing, immigration, the environment, infrastructure, technology, foreign assistance, or the global COVID pandemic. To access the report, click: here.
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What Works to Prevent Sexual Violence Against Children Evidence Review (November 2019) Together for Girls, in partnership with The Equality Institute and the Oak Foundation, undertook a systematic review of proven solutions and best practices to prevent and respond to sexual violence against children and youth (SVAC). The review was completed in collaboration with a group of experts and allied organizations and highlights evidence-based solutions from around the world — from a girl’s empowerment initiative in India to justice reform in Guatemala to school-based education programs in the United States. To access the full report in English, click: here. For the Executive Summary in English, click: here. For links to all support materials and translations in French and Spanish, click: here.
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The Effects of Armed Conflict on Children. Children are increasingly exposed to armed conflict and targeted by governmental and nongovernmental combatants. Armed conflict directly and indirectly affects children’s physical, mental, and behavioral health. It can affect every organ system, and its impact can persist throughout the life course. In addition, children are disproportionately impacted by morbidity and mortality associated with armed conflict. A children’s rights–based approach provides a framework for collaboration by the American Academy of Pediatrics, child health professionals, and national and international partners to respond in the domains of clinical care, systems development, and policy formulation. The American Academy of Pediatrics and child health professionals have critical and synergistic roles to play in the global response to the impact of armed conflict on children. Shenoda S, Kadir A, Pitterman S, et al. The Effects of Armed Conflict on Children. Pediatrics. 2018;142(6): e20182585 (December 2018) To view the article click: here. To download the article, click: here
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On the Side of Children and Youth in U.S. government foreign policy and assistance (December 2018). International partners have counted on support from the U.S. government for global children and youth issues for many years. The U.S. government’s investments in international development, technical expertise, research capabilities, and diplomatic outreach have historically been important in addressing young people’s vulnerability worldwide. This paper presents an overview of the U.S. government international assistance architecture for children and youth, as well as the advocacy landscape. It maps U.S. government policies, programs, and funding for global children and youth issues by sector, as well as the primary advocacy coalitions working within each issue area (see Annex A). Additionally, this paper summarizes the results of an online survey of U.S.-based individuals and organizations engaged in global child- and youth-advocacy efforts, which probed what has been working well, where there may be gaps, and identified advocacy priorities as well as potential areas for improvement where strategic investments could help to strengthen advocacy efforts (see Annex B). Author: Gillian Huebner. Commissioned by Elevate Children Funders Group. To access the report, click: here.
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INSPIRE Seven Strategies for Ending Violence Against Children (2016) World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al, 2016. INSPIRE identifies a select group of strategies that have shown success in reducing violence against children. They are: implementation and enforcement of laws; norms and values; safe environments; parent and caregiver support; income and economic strengthening; response and support services; and education and life skills. To access the full report , Technical Package, Handbook, Indicator Guidance and Results Framework, and translations of al materials, click: here. For the report in English, click: here.
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