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# 									Children and Youth							

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

### Children and Adolescents

More than half of the world’s refugee populations are children (below the age of 18) and many will spend their entire childhoods in countries of asylum. Displaced children face heightened risks for abuse, violence, exploitation, and separation from their caregivers. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) addresses the unique needs of displaced and stateless children through global humanitarian assistance programs and through humanitarian diplomacy to advocate for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

### Child Protection and Assistance

Child protection in humanitarian emergencies is the prevention of and response to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence against children. In times of crisis, patterns of violence are heightened and protective social structures are weakened. In displacement situations, children can become separated from their caregivers and experience traumas that result in psychosocial disorders, particularly for those exposed to conflict. Additionally, children are at greater risk for recruitment into armed groups and some resort to child labor to support themselves or their families.

Despite these significant risks, PRM recognizes that children are also highly resilient. PRM strives to empower children by creating safe and protective environments, ensuring access to essential services, working with caregivers, supporting national systems, and increasing children’s participation in issues affecting their lives. PRM works closely across the U.S. government as well as with international organizations (IO) and non-governmental organizations (NGO) to lead and participate in initiatives focused on child protection. Each year, PRM supports a range of IOs including the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) to integrate child protection and assistance programming into our humanitarian response. Additionally, PRM addresses gaps through NGO programs to enhance access to critical services, such as case management, psychosocial support, short and long term care arrangements, and legal support for documentation, including birth registration. PRM programs strive to ensure children thrive in protective environments by supporting caregivers, strengthening child-friendly spaces, and supporting community and national systems to address children’s needs in the long term.

PRM also supports the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action   and UNHCR globallyto build capacity for the international response for child protection; improve global resources, such as the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action   and the UNHCR Best Interest Determination guidelines  ; as well as support evidence based programming through enhanced learning, assessment, and evaluation.

### Education

Education in emergencies can provide life-saving safe spaces, access to information and other services, a foundation for lifelong learning, and hope for the future. Education often is one of the highest priorities cited by displaced communities. Access to education is a human right and is proven to contribute to poverty reduction, peace and stability, economic growth, and better health and wellbeing for children, families, and communities. Evidence shows that investing in education can lead to significant improvements in quality of life, including prevention of or reductions in early marriage, child labor, and exploitation. Education provides displaced children and adolescents with a sense of normalcy and stability, while developing essential skills for self-reliance, improving their job prospects and boosting their sense of self. Yet conflict and displacement often present significant barriers and challenges for children’s access to education. Failing to provide education to refugee and displaced children and adolescents has not only detrimental effects on children and their families, but can also perpetuate cycles of conflict and displacement.

Education is a key component to PRM’s mission to provide protection and durable solutions for refugees. PRM supports global initiatives to support the provision of quality education and life-long learning for all vulnerable children.  PRM is a strong supporter of Education Cannot Wait a fund for education in emergenciesthat joins up governments, humanitarian actors and development efforts to deliver a more collaborative and rapid response to the educational needs of children and youth affected by crises. The fund aims to reach all crisis-affected children and youth with safe, free, and quality education by 2030.In addition, each year PRM supports IO partners, such as UNHCR and UNICEF, to provide quality and protective education for displaced children. PRM also supports a range of NGO programs to improve education by investing in teachers, ensuring schools are inclusive and safe, conducting outreach to increase access for girls, and providing alternative programs such as accelerated learning, catch up or bridge support, and vocational training.

### Youth

Displaced youth, ages 15-24, face the aforementioned protection risks but do so at a critical time in human development – the transition from adolescence to adulthood – which brings additional challenges and the need for specialized approaches to ensure these young people are not left behind. Youth often fall between the gap in programing for children and adults, leaving many unable to prepare for their life ahead and prompting some to risk dangerous onward movements in search of better opportunities. Despite these challenges, young people have tremendous potential to support their peers, families, and communities. PRM works to empowers displaced youth to become active members of their societies and advocates for issues affecting their lives. PRM programs provide a variety of interventions to increase opportunities for youth including education, accelerated learning, vocational and life skills training, and community peacebuilding. PRM also support the Global Youth Advisory Council (GYAC) to further advance UNHCR’s work with and for youth. The GYAC enables young people to share their perspectives and to bring input from their communities into the work of UNHCR at all levels. 

Tags

AsylumEducationRefugeesUnited Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesYouth Programs

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