Global Child Thrive Act of 2019

II 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 devel- oping 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 Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Child Thrive 4 Act of 2019’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2715.IS S2715 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 2715 IS (1) According to a 2019 report from the United 1 Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Es- 2 timation entitled ‘‘Levels & Trends in Child Mor- 3 tality,’’ the total number of deaths among children 4 younger than 15 years of age dropped by 56 percent 5 between 1990 and 2018, from approximately 6 14,200,000 to approximately 6,200,000. 7 (2) According to a 2016 article published in 8 The Lancet entitled ‘‘Early childhood development: 9 the foundation of sustainable development’’— 10 (A) an estimated 250,000,000 children in 11 low-income and middle-income countries suffer 12 suboptimal development due to poverty and 13 stunting alone; and 14 (B) children who do not meet develop- 15 mental milestones are expected to lose about 25 16 percent of their average yearly income once 17 they become adults. 18 (3) According to a report from the United Na- 19 tions Children’s Fund (UNICEF), entitled ‘‘The 20 State of the World’s Children 2016: A fair chance 21 for every child’’, nearly 250,000,000 of the world’s 22 650,000,000 primary school age children do not 23 master basic literacy and numeracy. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2715.IS S2715 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 2715 IS (4) According to a 2018 report from the World 1 Health Organization entitled ‘‘Nurturing Care for 2 early childhood development’’— 3 (A) the environment in which a child grows 4 has a profound impact on future learning, be- 5 havior, and health; and 6 (B) a country’s economic diversity and 7 growth could be improved by investment in 8 early childhood development. 9 (5) According to a 2017 UNICEF report enti- 10 tled ‘‘UNICEF’s Programme Guidance for Early 11 Childhood Development’’, nurturing care, which is 12 key to early childhood development, consists of a 13 core set of interrelated components, including— 14 (A) behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge 15 about caregiving, including health, hygiene care, 16 and feeding; 17 (B) stimulation, such as talking, singing, 18 and playing; 19 (C) responsiveness, such as early bonding, 20 secure attachment, trust, and sensitive commu- 21 nication; and 22 (D) safety, including routines, protection 23 from violence, abuse, neglect, harm, and envi- 24 ronmental pollution. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2715.IS S2715 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 2715 IS (6) According to a 2016 report published in 1 The Lancet entitled ‘‘Advancing Early Childhood 2 Development: From Science to Scale’’— 3 (A) nurturing care from parents, relatives, 4 and other caregivers and services are formative 5 experiences for young children; 6 (B) programs promoting nurturing care 7 can improve early childhood development out- 8 comes; and 9 (C) children who do not receive nurturing 10 care display negative development outcomes, 11 such as greater sensitivity to the effects of 12 stress or behavioral problems, especially chil- 13 dren who do not receive nurturing care before 14 their second birthday. 15 (7) According to the ‘‘United States Govern- 16 ment Action Plan on Children in Adversity, A 17 Framework for International Assistance: 2012– 18 2017,’’ children who live without protective family 19 care, in abusive households, on the streets, or in in- 20 stitutions, or who are trafficked, are participating in 21 armed groups, or are being exploited for their labor 22 are more likely to be exposed to violence, exploi- 23 tation, abuse, and neglect. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2715.IS S2715 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 2715 IS (8) According to a 2017 UNICEF report enti- 1 tled ‘‘Early Moments Matter for every child’’, vio- 2 lence, abuse, neglect, and traumatic experiences 3 produce toxic stress that limits neural connectivity 4 in developing brains. 5 (9) According to a 2014 working paper from 6 the National Scientific Council on the Developing 7 Child at Harvard University entitled ‘‘Excessive 8 Stress Disrupts the Architecture of the Developing 9 Brain’’— 10 (A) situations that produce toxic stress in- 11 crease the production of cortisol in a child’s 12 brain, which disrupts its healthy development; 13 and 14 (B) chronic stress can potentially affect 15 the expression of genes that regulate the stress 16 response across the life course. 17 (10) According to a 2018 article in the North 18 Carolina Medical Journal entitled ‘‘Adverse Child- 19 hood Experiences (ACEs): An Important Element of 20 a Comprehensive Approach to the Opioid Crisis’’, 21 adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic 22 or stressful experiences, including emotional, phys- 23 ical, or sexual abuse, domestic violence, household 24 substance abuse, household mental illness, parental 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2715.IS S2715 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 2715 IS separation or divorce, and the incarceration of a 1 household family member. 2 (11) According to a 2016 report in Develop- 3 ment and Psychopathology entitled ‘‘Childhood Ad- 4 versity and Epigenetic Regulation of Glucocorticoid 5 Signaling Genes: Associations in Children and 6 Adults’’— 7 (A) children and adults are at risk of de- 8 veloping psychiatric disorders and other medical 9 conditions if they have had an adverse child- 10 hood experience (ACE); and 11 (B) adults who have had numerous ACEs 12 die nearly 20 years earlier, on average, than 13 adults who have not had numerous ACEs. 14 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 15 It is the sense of Congress that— 16 (1) it is time to build on the reduction in pre- 17 ventable child deaths worldwide achieved by focusing 18 new efforts and attention on— 19 (A) saving children’s lives; and 20 (B) supporting the healthy development of 21 children’s brains; 22 (2) methods of delivering parent training and 23 education on nurturing care, such as the Center for 24 Disease Control and Prevention’s Maternal, Infant, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2715.IS S2715 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •S 2715 IS and Early Childhood Home Visiting programs, could 1 help other countries realize greater gains in early 2 childhood development; 3 (3) negative early childhood experiences can ob- 4 struct lifelong health and opportunity; 5 (4) well-developed and inquisitive children are 6 the global leaders of tomorrow; 7 (5) countries will only be able to reach and ex- 8 ceed their development goals if their youngest chil- 9 dren get a strong start; and 10 (6) focused cross-sectoral coordination for pro- 11 moting early childhood development is essential for 12 the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of all 13 early childhood development initiatives. 14 SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE EARLY CHILDHOOD OUT- 15 COMES GLOBALLY. 16 Chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act 17 of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is amended— 18 (1) in section 135(f)(1) (22 U.S.C. 19 2152f(f)(1)), by striking ‘‘2006 and 2007’’ and in- 20 serting ‘‘2020 through 2025’’; and 21 (2) by adding at the end the following: 22 ‘‘SEC. 137. ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE EARLY CHILDHOOD 23 OUTCOMES GLOBALLY. 24 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2715.IS S2715 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 •S 2715 IS ‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT- 1 TEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional com- 2 mittees’ means— 3 ‘‘(A) the Committee on Appropriations of 4 the Senate; 5 ‘‘(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 6 of the Senate; 7 ‘‘(C) the Committee on Appropriations of 8 the House of Representatives; and 9 ‘‘(D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 10 the House of Representatives. 11 ‘‘(2) CHILDREN.—The term ‘children’ means 12 persons who are younger than 18 years of age. 13 ‘‘(3) DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION.—The term 14 ‘deinstitutionalization’ means the process of 15 transitioning from a child care protection system 16 that relies on residential care to a system that pri- 17 marily supports family-based care. 18 ‘‘(4) EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT.—The 19 term ‘early childhood development’ means the devel- 20 opment and learning of a child younger than 8 years 21 of age, including physical, cognitive, social, and emo- 22 tional development and approaches to learning that 23 allow a child to reach his or her full developmental 24 potential. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2715.IS S2715 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 9 •S 2715 IS ‘‘(5) EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PRO- 1 GRAM.—The term ‘early childhood development pro- 2 gram’ means a program that ensures that every 3 child has the conditions for healthy growth, nur- 4 turing family-based care, development and learning, 5 and protection from violence, exploitation, abuse, 6 and neglect, including— 7 ‘‘(A) a health, clean water, sanitation, and 8 hygiene program that serves pregnant women, 9 children younger than 5 years of age, and the 10 parents of such children; 11 ‘‘(B) a nutrition program, combined with 12 stimulating child development activity; 13 ‘‘(C) age appropriate cognitive stimulation, 14 especially for newborns, infants, and toddlers, 15 including an early childhood intervention pro- 16 gram for children experiencing at-risk situa- 17 tions, developmental delays, disabilities, and be- 18 havioral and mental health conditions; 19 ‘‘(D) an early learning (36 months and 20 younger), preschool, and basic education pro- 21 gram for children until they reach 8 years of 22 age or complete primary school; and 23 ‘‘(E) a child protection program, with an 24 emphasis on the promotion of permanent, safe, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2715.IS S2715 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 10 •S 2715 IS and nurturing families, rather than placement 1 in residential care or institutions, including for 2 children with disabilities. 3 ‘‘(6) INCLUSIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOP- 4 MENT.—The term ‘inclusive early childhood develop- 5 ment’ means the full and effective participation, ac- 6 cessibility, attendance, and achievement of all chil- 7 dren, especially children who are excluded or at risk 8 of being marginalized, such as children with disabil- 9 ities. 10 ‘‘(7) RELEVANT EXECUTIVE BRANCH AGENCIES 11 AND OFFICIALS.—The term ‘relevant Executive 12 branch agencies and officials’ means— 13 ‘‘(A) the Department of State; 14 ‘‘(B) the United States Agency for Inter- 15 national Development; 16 ‘‘(C) the Department of the Treasury; 17 ‘‘(D) the Department of Labor; 18 ‘‘(E) the Department of Education; 19 ‘‘(F) the Department of Agriculture; 20 ‘‘(G) the Department of Defense; 21 ‘‘(H) the Department of Health and 22 Human Services, including— 23 ‘‘(i) the Centers for Disease Control 24 and Prevention; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2715.IS S2715 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 11 •S 2715 IS ‘‘(ii) the National Institutes of 1 Health; 2 ‘‘(I) the Office of the Global AIDS Coordi- 3 nator; 4 ‘‘(J) the Chief Executive Officer of the 5 Millennium Challenge Corporation; 6 ‘‘(K) the National Security Advisor; and 7 ‘‘(L) the Director of the Peace Corps. 8 ‘‘(8) RESIDENTIAL CARE.—The term ‘residen- 9 tial care’ means care provided in any nonfamily- 10 based group setting, including orphanages, transit or 11 interim care centers, children’s homes, children’s vil- 12 lages or cottage complexes, group homes, and board- 13 ing schools used primarily for care purposes as an 14 alternative to a children’s home. 15 ‘‘(b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 16 United States— 17 ‘‘(1) to support early childhood development in 18 all child-focused international assistance programs, 19 in partnership with affected countries, other donor 20 country governments, international financial institu- 21 tions, nongovernmental organizations, faith-based 22 organizations, international organizations, multilat- 23 eral organizations, and the private sector; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2715.IS S2715 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 12 •S 2715 IS ‘‘(2) to encourage partner countries to lead 1 early childhood development initiatives that include 2 incentives for building local capacity for sustainable 3 implementation by— 4 ‘‘(A) scaling up the most effective, evi- 5 dence-based, national interventions, including 6 for the most vulnerable populations and chil- 7 dren with disabilities and developmental delays, 8 with a focus on adaptation to country re- 9 sources, cultures, and languages; 10 ‘‘(B) designing, implementing, monitoring, 11 and evaluating programs in a way that en- 12 hances their quality, transparency, equity, and 13 accountability, increases sustainability, and im- 14 proves child and family outcomes in partner 15 countries; and 16 ‘‘(C) utilizing and expanding innovative 17 public-private financing mechanisms. 18 ‘‘(c) IMPLEMENTATION.— 19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 20 the date of the enactment of the Global Child Thrive 21 Act of 2019, the Administrator of the United States 22 Agency for International Development, on behalf of 23 the President, shall direct relevant Executive branch 24 agencies and officials supporting young children— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:39 Oct 30, [Text truncated for display. 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