SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING VIOLENCE 
AGAINST CHILDREN SURVEYS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS) 
are critical tools for realizing the objectives of the 
‘‘Advancing Protection and Care for Children in Ad-
versity: U.S. Government Strategy for International 
Assistance, 2019–2023’’ for— 
(A) building strong beginnings for vulner-
able children through early childhood develop-
ment interventions; 
(B) strengthening families and advancing 
positive parenting; and 
(C) protecting children from violence; and 
(2) when leveraging the findings of a VACS, 
relevant bureaus and offices should consider wheth-
er— 
(A) governments have fully committed to 
the process of conducting the survey; 
(B) there is presence and capacity amongst 
partner entities in-country to support imple-
mentation of the survey; 
(C) there is availability of funding to both 
implement the survey and support Centers for 
Disease Control technical assistance for imple-
mentation; and 
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(D) governments have expressed support 
for action in response to survey findings, such 
as demonstrating the ability to mobilize re-
sources and having funding in place for pro-
grams and services. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States to— 
(1) promote, fund, and support the protection 
of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and 
neglect by investing in preventative and responsive 
programming care in relevant foreign assistance pro-
grams; and 
(2) rely on evidence-based, efficient, and effec-
tive interventions in strategies and programs to sup-
port vulnerable children, promote permanent family 
care, and protect children from violence, exploi-
tation, and abuse. 
SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE FOR CHILDREN IN ADVERSITY. 
Section 135 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
(22 U.S.C. 2152f) is amended— 
(1) by adding at the end of subsection (a) the 
following: 
‘‘(10) Exposure to sexual, physical, and emo-
tional violence, particularly when such exposure is 
repeated or chronic, can significantly affect a child’s 
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brain development and function and cause life-long 
consequences, including poor mental health, hindered 
neurological development, slowed physical develop-
ment, reduced learning, and risky health behavior, 
continuing cycles of poverty, and epigenetic con-
sequences. 
‘‘(11) Child protection interventions can be life-
saving, especially in such critical circumstances as 
humanitarian responses, regions experiencing fra-
gility, and conflict areas. 
‘‘(12) The Violence Against Children Surveys 
are critical tools in partnering with foreign govern-
ments to analyze violence against children and in 
creating action plans to address this violence and 
protect vulnerable children.’’; 
(2) by adding at the end of subsection (b) the 
following: 
‘‘(6) VULNERABLE CHILDREN.—The term ‘vul-
nerable children’ means children who are experi-
encing conditions of serious deprivation and danger, 
including those who— 
‘‘(A) are living outside of family care; 
‘‘(B) have been trafficked; 
‘‘(C) are experiencing violence; 
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‘‘(D) are experiencing labor or sexual ex-
ploitation; 
‘‘(E) are affected by, or are emerging 
from, armed conflict or humanitarian crises; 
‘‘(F) have disabilities; 
‘‘(G) are orphans; or 
‘‘(H) are otherwise vulnerable, including 
because of HIV/AIDS, acute illness, or having 
been born prematurely.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting a semicolon; 
(B) in paragraph (7), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) to support nurturing, protective, and per-
manent family care for vulnerable children and to 
extend protective services to children living outside 
of family care; 
‘‘(9) to promote the protection of children from 
violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect by investing 
in preventative and responsive programming built 
upon evidence-based strategies; and 
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‘‘(10) to provide lifesaving protection and inter-
ventions for vulnerable children in emergency set-
tings and fragile contexts.’’. 
SEC. 5. AMENDMENTS TO THE ASSISTANCE FOR ORPHANS 
AND OTHER VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN DE-
VELOPING COUNTRIES ACT. 
The Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable 
Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005 (Public Law 
109–95) is amended as follows: 
(1) In section 4 (22 U.S.C. 2152f note)— 
(A) by amending subsection (a) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT FOR STRATEGY.— 
‘‘(1) INITIAL SUBMISSION.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of the 
Strengthening Efforts to End Violence Against Chil-
dren Act of 2023, the President shall develop and 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a strategy for coordinating, implementing, and moni-
toring assistance programs for children in adversity 
under section 135 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
1961. 
‘‘(2) COMMENT AND REVIEW.—The strategy re-
quired by paragraph (1) shall not be implemented 
before the date that is 90 days after the date of the 
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submission of the strategy. During such 90-day pe-
riod, the President shall consider and, if appropriate, 
revise, such strategy in light of any comments pro-
vided to the President by the appropriate congres-
sional committees. 
‘‘(3) IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINE.—Subject to 
revisions in accordance with paragraph (2), the 
President shall begin implementation of the strategy 
required by paragraph (1) not later than 150 days 
after the date of the submission of the strategy. 
‘‘(4) REVIEW OF IMPLEMENTATION.—Every 4 
years, the President shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees— 
‘‘(A) a review of the manner and extent to 
which the strategy required by paragraph (1) 
has been implemented during the preceding 4 
years; and 
‘‘(B) an updated strategy, incorporating 
the findings of such review, for the subsequent 
4 years.’’; 
(B) by amending subsection (b) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The strategy described in 
subsection (a)(1) shall be developed by the Special 
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Advisor for Assistance to Orphans and Vulnerable 
Children (appointed pursuant to section 135(e)(1) of 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961), in consultation 
with the appropriate consulting partners listed in 
paragraph (2), to ensure that the strategy— 
‘‘(A) will not impede the efficiency of im-
plementing assistance programs for orphans 
and vulnerable children; 
‘‘(B) addresses the specific needs of local 
populations; and 
‘‘(C) is fully implemented. 
‘‘(2) APPROPRIATE CONSULTING PARTNERS.— 
The appropriate consulting partners listed in this 
paragraph are— 
‘‘(A) relevant offices in the Department of 
Health and Human Services, Department of 
Labor, Department of State, PEPFAR, and the 
Peace Corps; 
‘‘(B) United States civil society stake-
holders, including service providers; and 
‘‘(C) employees of the field missions of the 
United States Agency for International Devel-
opment.’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(c) PUBLICATION.—The strategy required by sub-
section (a)(1) and each review of the implementation of 
such strategy required by subsection (a)(4) shall be made 
publicly available.’’. 
(2) In section 5(b) (22 U.S.C. 2152g(b))— 
(A) by striking paragraph (1); 
(B) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(2) 
through (4) as paragraphs (1) through (3), re-
spectively; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) The activities of the United States Agency 
for International Development, the Department of 
Health and Human Services, the Department of 
Labor, the Department of State, PEPFAR, and the 
Peace Corps that implement INSPIRE strategies for 
ending violence against children, which include— 
‘‘(A) implementation and enforcement of 
law; 
‘‘(B) norms and values; 
‘‘(C) safe environments; 
‘‘(D) parent and caregiver support; 
‘‘(E) income and economic strengthening; 
‘‘(F) response and support services; and 
‘‘(G) education and life skills. 
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‘‘(5) The manner and extent to which Federal 
departments and agencies and partner organizations 
have used findings from Violence Against Children 
Surveys to inform programming to support, care for, 
and protect children in adversity.’’. 
SEC. 6. IMPACT OF COVID–19 PANDEMIC ON CHILDREN IN 
ADVERSITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development, acting 
through the Special Advisor for Children in Adversity, 
shall include in the first report submitted pursuant to sec-
tion 5 of the Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable 
Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005 (22 U.S.C. 
2152g) after the date of the enactment of this Act a report 
on the impact of the COVID–19 pandemic on violence 
against children globally. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
quired under subsection (a) shall also include the following 
elements: 
(1) An assessment of the impact of the 
COVID–19 pandemic on violence against children 
and child protection risks, including domestic vio-
lence, child trafficking, child marriage, female gen-
ital mutilation/cutting, and sexual exploitation, espe-
cially as these forms of violence affect marginalized 
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children and youth, such as girls, LGBTQ children 
and youth, children with disabilities, and other mi-
nority populations. 
(2) An overview of programs being carried out 
by participants in the Advancing Protection and 
Care for Children in Adversity Interagency Working 
Group to continue investments in child protection, 
child safeguarding, social-service workforce strength-
ening, positive parenting, and family strengthening 
programming during the COVID–19 pandemic, in-
cluding existing data on funding and programmatic 
focus disaggregated by gender, country, income level, 
and disability. 
(3) Descriptions of the effectiveness, cost, and 
accessibility of the tools and strategies most com-
monly used to minimize child protection risks and 
mitigate service disruptions during the COVID–19 
pandemic. 
(4) Identification of any gaps in reaching 
marginalized populations with child protection infor-
mation and services during the COVID–19 pan-
demic, such as girls, children with disabilities, or 
children affected by conflict and crisis. 
(5) Descriptions of the tools and resources 
needed for the Agency to contribute to long-term re-
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covery of children’s protection and well-being in the 
wake of COVID–19 including distance learning 
interventions, safe school reopening guidelines, and 
reenrollment campaigns for out-of-school children 
and youth. 
(c) FORM.—The report required by subsection (a) 
shall be submitted in unclassified form and made available 
to the public. 
Æ 
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