# Plain Language Summary: Strengthening Efforts to End Violence Against Children Act of 2023

This bill updates how the U.S. government approaches protecting children from violence, abuse, and exploitation in other countries. It's focused on international aid programs, so it mainly affects how American foreign assistance dollars are spent on child protection efforts overseas rather than directly impacting Americans at home.

The bill establishes that protecting children from violence should be a core priority in U.S. international assistance programs. It recognizes that violence—whether physical, sexual, or emotional—can cause serious, lasting damage to children's brains and development, leading to long-term mental health problems, learning difficulties, and cycles of poverty. The legislation pushes U.S. agencies like USAID, the State Department, and the Peace Corps to work together more effectively on child protection, rather than operating in separate silos. It also emphasizes using strategies that have actually been proven to work, rather than just trying random approaches.

A key part of this bill involves "Violence Against Children Surveys"—research tools that help foreign governments understand the scope of violence against children in their countries and develop action plans to address it. The bill encourages U.S. agencies to support these surveys, but only when local governments are genuinely committed to acting on the findings and have the resources to implement solutions. The bill requires the President to develop a comprehensive strategy for coordinating all these child protection efforts and to report back to Congress every four years on how well it's working. It also calls for a special report on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected violence against children globally and what tools are needed to help children recover.

Strengthening Efforts to End Violence Against Children Act of 2023

McGovern, James P.

Strengthening Efforts to End Violence Against Children Act of 2023 This bill modifies the framework for providing foreign aid to programs that support vulnerable children by expanding the goals of these programs and requiring additional reports. Specifically, aid may be provided to programs that (1) support family care for vulnerable children and extend protective services to children living outside of family care; (2) promote the protection of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect through preventative and responsive programming; and (3) provide lifesaving protection and interventions for vulnerable children in emergency settings. The bill also requires the President, among other reporting requirements, to develop and submit to Congress a strategy for coordinating, implementing, and monitoring assistance programs for children in adversity, submitting a review to Congress every 4 years afterwards.