Global Child Thrive Act of 2019

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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Global Child Thrive Act of 2019 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, (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 (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 (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, (8) According to a 2017 UNICEF report entitled Early Moments Matter for every child (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 (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. 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. 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 (1) in section 135(f)(1) ( 22 U.S.C. 2152f(f)(1) 2006 and 2007 2020 through 2025 (2) by adding at the end the following: 137. Assistance to improve early childhood outcomes globally (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees (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 (D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives (2) Children The term children (3) Deinstitutionalization The term deinstitutionalization (4) Early childhood development The term early childhood development (5) Early childhood development program The term early childhood development program (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 (7) Relevant executive branch agencies and officials The term relevant Executive branch agencies and officials (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 (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 (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 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 (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 (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. . 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) (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 the relevant Executive branch agencies and officials, partner governments, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and nongovernmental and civil society organizations 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.

Summary: Global Child Thrive Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes for FY2020-FY2025 programs to provide assistance to orphans and other vulnerable children in developing countries. The bill also requires the U.S. Agency for International Development to direct relevant executive branch agencies to incorporate early childhood development into current programs and promote inclusive early childhood development in partner countries. Such actions to promote early childhood development shall build on existing U.S. plans and strategies and aim to (1) prevent unnecessary family-child separation, (2) assist families with children with disabilities, and (3) help countries transition from child care protection systems that rely on residential care (such as orphanages and children's homes) to ones focused on family-based care.