[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2715 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2715
To develop and implement policies to advance early childhood
development, to provide assistance for orphans and other vulnerable
children in developing countries, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 29, 2019
Mr. Blunt (for himself and Mr. Coons) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To develop and implement policies to advance early childhood
development, to provide assistance for orphans and other vulnerable
children in developing countries, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Global Child Thrive Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) According to a 2019 report from the United Nations
Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation entitled
``Levels & Trends in Child Mortality,'' the total number of
deaths among children younger than 15 years of age dropped by
56 percent between 1990 and 2018, from approximately 14,200,000
to approximately 6,200,000.
(2) According to a 2016 article published in The Lancet
entitled ``Early childhood development: the foundation of
sustainable development''--
(A) an estimated 250,000,000 children in low-income
and middle-income countries suffer suboptimal
development due to poverty and stunting alone; and
(B) children who do not meet developmental
milestones are expected to lose about 25 percent of
their average yearly income once they become adults.
(3) According to a report from the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF), entitled ``The State of the World's
Children 2016: A fair chance for every child'', nearly
250,000,000 of the world's 650,000,000 primary school age
children do not master basic literacy and numeracy.
(4) According to a 2018 report from the World Health
Organization entitled ``Nurturing Care for early childhood
development''--
(A) the environment in which a child grows has a
profound impact on future learning, behavior, and
health; and
(B) a country's economic diversity and growth could
be improved by investment in early childhood
development.
(5) According to a 2017 UNICEF report entitled ``UNICEF's
Programme Guidance for Early Childhood Development'', nurturing
care, which is key to early childhood development, consists of
a core set of interrelated components, including--
(A) behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge about
caregiving, including health, hygiene care, and
feeding;
(B) stimulation, such as talking, singing, and
playing;
(C) responsiveness, such as early bonding, secure
attachment, trust, and sensitive communication; and
(D) safety, including routines, protection from
violence, abuse, neglect, harm, and environmental
pollution.
(6) According to a 2016 report published in The Lancet
entitled ``Advancing Early Childhood Development: From Science
to Scale''--
(A) nurturing care from parents, relatives, and
other caregivers and services are formative experiences
for young children;
(B) programs promoting nurturing care can improve
early childhood development outcomes; and
(C) children who do not receive nurturing care
display negative development outcomes, such as greater
sensitivity to the effects of stress or behavioral
problems, especially children who do not receive
nurturing care before their second birthday.
(7) According to the ``United States Government Action Plan
on Children in Adversity, A Framework for International
Assistance: 2012-2017,'' children who live without protective
family care, in abusive households, on the streets, or in
institutions, or who are trafficked, are participating in armed
groups, or are being exploited for their labor are more likely
to be exposed to violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect.
(8) According to a 2017 UNICEF report entitled ``Early
Moments Matter for every child'', violence, abuse, neglect, and
traumatic experiences produce toxic stress that limits neural
connectivity in developing brains.
(9) According to a 2014 working paper from the National
Scientific Council on the Developing Child at Harvard
University entitled ``Excessive Stress Disrupts the
Architecture of the Developing Brain''--
(A) situations that produce toxic stress increase
the production of cortisol in a child's brain, which
disrupts its healthy development; and
(B) chronic stress can potentially affect the
expression of genes that regulate the stress response
across the life course.
(10) According to a 2018 article in the North Carolina
Medical Journal entitled ``Adverse Childhood Experiences
(ACEs): An Important Element of a Comprehensive Approach to the
Opioid Crisis'', adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are
traumatic or stressful experiences, including emotional,
physical, or sexual abuse, domestic violence, household
substance abuse, household mental illness, parental separation
or divorce, and the incarceration of a household family member.
(11) According to a 2016 report in Development and
Psychopathology entitled ``Childhood Adversity and Epigenetic
Regulation of Glucocorticoid Signaling Genes: Associations in
Children and Adults''--
(A) children and adults are at risk of developing
psychiatric disorders and other medical conditions if
they have had an adverse childhood experience (ACE);
and
(B) adults who have had numerous ACEs die nearly 20
years earlier, on average, than adults who have not had
numerous ACEs.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) it is time to build on the reduction in preventable
child deaths worldwide achieved by focusing new efforts and
attention on--
(A) saving children's lives; and
(B) supporting the healthy development of
children's brains;
(2) methods of delivering parent training and education on
nurturing care, such as the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention's Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home
Visiting programs, could help other countries realize greater
gains in early childhood development;
(3) negative early childhood experiences can obstruct
lifelong health and opportunity;
(4) well-developed and inquisitive children are the global
leaders of tomorrow;
(5) countries will only be able to reach and exceed their
development goals if their youngest children get a strong
start; and
(6) focused cross-sectoral coordination for promoting early
childhood development is essential for the efficiency,
effectiveness, and sustainability of all early childhood
development initiatives.
SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE EARLY CHILDHOOD OUTCOMES GLOBALLY.
Chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 135(f)(1) (22 U.S.C. 2152f(f)(1)), by
striking ``2006 and 2007'' and inserting ``2020 through 2025'';
and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 137. ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE EARLY CHILDHOOD OUTCOMES GLOBALLY.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
`appropriate congressional committees' means--
``(A) the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate;
``(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
``(C) the Committee on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives; and
``(D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives.
``(2) Children.--The term `children' means persons who are
younger than 18 years of age.
``(3) Deinstitutionalization.--The term
`deinstitutionalization' means the process of transitioning
from a child care protection system that relies on residential
care to a system that primarily supports family-based care.
``(4) Early childhood development.--The term `early
childhood development' means the development and learning of a
child younger than 8 years of age, including physical,
cognitive, social, and emotional development and approaches to
learning that allow a child to reach his or her full
developmental potential.
``(5) Early childhood development program.--The term `early
childhood development program' means a program that ensures
that every child has the conditions for healthy growth,
nurturing family-based care, development and learning, and
protection from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect,
including--
``(A) a health, clean water, sanitation, and
hygiene program that serves pregnant women, children
younger than 5 years of age, and the parents of such
children;
``(B) a nutrition program, combined with
stimulating child development activity;
``(C) age appropriate cognitive stimulation,
especially for newborns, infants, and toddlers,
including an early childhood intervention program for
children experiencing at-risk situations, developmental
delays, disabilities, and behavioral and mental health
conditions;
``(D) an early learning (36 months and younger),
preschool, and basic education program for children
until they reach 8 years of age or complete primary
school; and
``(E) a child protection program, with an emphasis
on the promotion of permanent, safe, and nurturing
families, rather than placement in residential care or
institutions, including for children with disabilities.
``(6) Inclusive early childhood development.--The term
`inclusive early childhood development' means the full and
effective participation, accessibility, attendance, and
achievement of all children, especially children who are
excluded or at risk of being marginalized, such as children
with disabilities.
``(7) Relevant executive branch agencies and officials.--
The term `relevant Executive branch agencies and officials'
means--
``(A) the Department of State;
``(B) the United States Agency for International
Development;
``(C) the Department of the Treasury;
``(D) the Department of Labor;
``(E) the Department of Education;
``(F) the Department of Agriculture;
``(G) the Department of Defense;
``(H) the Department of Health and Human Services,
including--
``(i) the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; and
``(ii) the National Institutes of Health;
``(I) the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator;
``(J) the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium
Challenge Corporation;
``(K) the National Security Advisor; and
``(L) the Director of the Peace Corps.
``(8) Residential care.--The term `residential care' means
care provided in any nonfamily-based group setting, including
orphanages, transit or interim care centers, children's homes,
children's villages or cottage complexes, group homes, and
boarding schools used primarily for care purposes as an
alternative to a children's home.
``(b) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States--
``(1) to support early childhood development in all child-
focused international assistance programs, in partnership with
affected countries, other donor country governments,
international financial institutions, nongovernmental
organizations, faith-based organizations, international
organizations, multilateral organizations, and the private
sector; and
``(2) to encourage partner countries to lead early
childhood development initiatives that include incentives for
building local capacity for sustainable implementation by--
``(A) scaling up the most effective, evidence-
based, national interventions, including for the most
vulnerable populations and children with disabilities
and developmental delays, with a focus on adaptation to
country resources, cultures, and languages;
``(B) designing, implementing, monitoring, and
evaluating programs in a way that enhances their
quality, transparency, equity, and accountability,
increases sustainability, and improves child and family
outcomes in partner countries; and
``(C) utilizing and expanding innovative public-
private financing mechanisms.
``(c) Implementation.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of the Global Child Thrive Act of 2019, the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, on behalf of the President, shall direct relevant
Executive branch agencies and officials supporting young
children--
``(A) to incorporate early childhood development
into current programming to be carried out during the
following 5 fiscal years; and
``(B) to promote inclusive early childhood
development in partner countries.
``(2) Elements.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Administrator and relevant Executive branch agencies and
officials shall--
``(A) build on the evidence and priorities outlined
in `Advancing Protection and Care for Children in
Adversity: A U.S. Government Strategy for International
Assistance 2019-2023', published in June 2019 (referred
to in this section as `APCCA');
``(B) to the extent practicable, identify evidence-
based strategic priorities, indicators, outcomes, and
targets, particularly emphasizing the most vulnerable
populations and children with disabilities and
developmental delays, to support inclusive early
childhood development;
``(C) support the design, implementation, and
evaluation of pilot projects in partner countries, with
the goal of taking such projects to scale;
``(D) support inclusive early childhood development
by supporting bureaus, working groups, and task forces
implementing relevant sector strategies and public
laws, including--
``(i) the Global Water Strategy required
under section 136(j) of the Foreign Assistance
Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2152h(j));
``(ii) the whole-of-government strategy
required under section 5 of the Global Food
Security Act of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9304 note);
``(iii) the Basic Education Strategy set
forth in section 105(c) of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151c(c));
``(iv) the U.S. Government Global Nutrition
Coordination Plan 2016-2021; and
``(v) APCCA;
``(E) focus on improving coordination with foreign
governments and international and regional
organizations with respect to official country policies
and plans for early childhood development, maternal,
newborn, and child health and nutrition care, basic
education plans, water, sanitation and hygiene, and
child protection plans;
``(F) support strategies that--
``(i) enable parents to care for their
children;
``(ii) prevent unnecessary family-child
separation;
``(iii) assist families with children with
disabilities;
``(iv) assist countries in planning and
implementing deinstitutionalization programs;
and
``(v) promote nurturing, appropriate,
protective, and permanent family care, while
reducing the percentage of children living in
residential care or on the street; and
``(G) consult with governments, international
financial institutions, nongovernmental organizations,
local and international civil society groups,
multilateral organizations, the private sector, faith-
based organizations, community-based organizations,
organizations run by people with disabilities, and
early childhood networks academic and professional
associations, and local field workers, as appropriate.
``(d) Annual Report on the Implementation of the Strategy.--The
Special Adviser for Children in Adversity shall include, in the annual
report required under section 5 of the Assistance for Orphans and Other
Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005 (22 U.S.C.
2152g), which shall be submitted to the appropriate congressional
committees and made available to the public, a description of--
``(1) the progress made toward integrating early childhood
development interventions into current programming;
``(2) the efforts made by relevant Executive branch
agencies and officials to implement subsection (c), with a
particular focus on the activities described in such
subsection;
``(3) the progress achieved during the reporting period
toward meeting the goals, objectives, benchmarks, and
timeframes described in subsection (c); and
``(4) the progress achieved during the reporting period
toward meeting the goals, objectives, benchmarks, and
timeframes described in subsection (c) at the program level,
along with specific challenges or gaps that may require shifts
in targeting, financing, or timeframes in the following fiscal
year.
``(e) Interagency Task Force.--The Special Advisor for Children in
Adversity shall regularly convene an interagency task force, which
should--
``(1) provide intergovernmental and interagency
coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the
activities carried out pursuant to this Act;
``(2) promote coordination on early childhood development
initiatives that include children with a variety of needs and
circumstances; and
``(3) establish a coordination mechanism within United
States Agency for International Development to oversee and
coordinate United States Government Early Childhood Development
programs, strategies, and partnerships across Federal
departments and agencies.''.
SEC. 5. SPECIAL ADVISOR FOR ASSISTANCE TO ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE
CHILDREN.
Section 135(e)(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2152f(e)(2)) is amended--
(1) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
``(A) Coordinate assistance to orphans and other
vulnerable children among the relevant Executive branch
agencies and officials.''; and
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``the various offices,
bureaus, and field missions within the United States Agency for
International Development'' and inserting ``the relevant
Executive branch agencies and officials, partner governments,
multilateral institutions, the private sector, and
nongovernmental and civil society organizations''.
SEC. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in the amendments made by sections 4 and 5 may be construed
to restrict or abrogate any other authorization for United States
Agency for International Development activities or programs.
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