One year of the Global Child Thrive Act: Why it matters and what comes next
By David Miliband, President & CEO of the International Rescue Committee, and Sherrie Westin, President of Sesame Workshop
In January, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Global Child Thrive Act, a milestone bi-partisan commitment from the United States Government to elevate the needs of young children and their caregivers in its foreign assistance. The Thrive Act calls for the integration of comprehensive early childhood development (ECD) support — including health, nutrition, early learning, safety, and responsive caregiving — across U.S. development and humanitarian assistance for children and families, making ECD the priority it always should have been.
One year after the passage of the Thrive Act, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to put the world’s most vulnerable children at even greater risk, we are at a pivotal moment for investing in the youngest generation. This is a moment when the U.S. Government is uniquely positioned to step forward and lead the world as a champion for ECD.
Why do we care so much about ECD? Because research shows that early childhood is when a child’s brain undergoes its most rapid period of development, and early experiences shape the architecture of the developing brain. We know that exposure to adversity during this period can inhibit brain development with long-term repercussions. This is an especially high risk for the 71 million children who have spent their entire lifetimes in conflict. But we also know that if children have access to quality ECD support, they can overcome adversity and build a brighter future.
That’s why the Thrive Act is so crucial — and why its bi-partisan champions, including Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Christopher Coons (D-DE) — should be celebrating as we mark the one-year anniversary of its enactment. Dollar for dollar, the investments that will fall under its banner are some of the most impactful expenditures our government will make this year. Long-term economic studies have shown that quality ECD support can provide tremendous returns — up to 13 percent per year — through improved education, health, and economic outcomes.
The Thrive Act has put us on the right track, to be sure, but advocates for effective foreign assistance and for child well-being are anxious to speed the train down that track. USAID and the State Department are already building ECD into their humanitarian and development programming, and engaging with implementers and advocates, like the dozens of members of the Thrive Coalition, to enhance these efforts. This progress is commendable, but it’s only a start.
That’s why Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee — partners in two of the world’s largest early childhood programs for crisis-affected children — are calling for accelerated progress in 2022.
First, turning the Thrive Act into reality requires strong leadership from both Washington and U.S. Missions around the world. USAID must fill key positions with permanent leadership quickly and provide staff with the authority and support to work effectively across bureaus and country missions — not to mention provide timely guidance on implementing the Act around the world.
Second, while the Thrive Act lays out a blueprint for improving ECD integration, it did not provide additional funding to the relevant agencies to support implementation or scaling up promising solutions. Appropriators from both houses and both sides of the aisle should support the progress that has been made with the Act by continually supplying the appropriate, reliable financing needed for its full implementation.
Lastly, we must follow — and invest in — the evidence. Emerging research from conflict and crisis settings offers both a proof of concept for ECD amid crises as well as scalable models for reaching more children, more efficiently. U.S. government agencies that work on international ECD have a long history of aligning their investments with quality evidence, which must be commended and continued.
Our organizations — and the dozens of others we are fortunate enough to partner with in moving the Thrive Act forward — feel both the optimism and urgency of this moment. We know an investment in early childhood is an investment in a brighter future for us all. This is the year we can deliver on the potential of our shared convictions.
