Growing up is hard enough as it is.

Imagine doing it in the world's worst circumstances: in a war zone, fleeing natural disaster, or in the midst of overwhelming poverty. More than 1 billion children around the world experience violence every year, including trafficking, child labor, early marriage, abuse, neglect, and violence related to war. They deserve a real childhood.

Join us in asking our leaders to support funding and legislation that will protect children from violence, holistically care for children in emergency response, and inspire hope for a better future for the most vulnerable.

Ready to meet with your members of Congress? Together, we'll:

» Identify which office to meet,
» Provide instructions to schedule the meeting, and
» Help you prepare with resources, talking points, and a phone call

Protect kids when they are most vulnerable, through U.S. foreign assistance

U.S. foreign assistance helps protect kids when they are most vulnerable. It funds poverty-focused development programs that deliver life-saving humanitarian aid, build resiliency to disasters within communities, and improve well-being for kids in the world's hardest places. These programs are implemented through trusted partners, like World Vision, who apply for grants that complement the work they are already doing in communities.

Poverty-focused U.S. foreign assistance accounts for less than one percent of our federal budget, but has faced potential cuts of up to 30% in recent years. Learn more about the U.S. budget process and the programs that help kids using the resources below.

International Disaster Assistance

Approximately 168 million people around the world need life-saving humanitarian assistance, the highest figure in decades. One in four children live in a conflict or disaster zone. The International Disaster Assistance (IDA) account is the primary way the U.S. government responds to disaster, crisis, and conflict around the world. Funding provides people in need with emergency necessities (like food, water, and shelter), protects children from additional violence and exploitation, and creates "child-friendly spaces" where they can just be kids.

To keep pace with global humanitarian needs, we're asking members of Congress to support $4.5 billion for the International Disaster Assistance account in FY21. We’re also advocating for robust supplemental funding to combat the global COVID-19 pandemic. Use the resources in this section to help you make the ask.

Ending Violence Against Children


Violence against children, in all its forms, takes a disastrous toll on their physical, mental, and social development. Last year, we advocated for the Resolution to End Violence Against Children (H.Res. 230, S.Res. 112), which passed the House and put Congress on record that the U.S. must do more to protect kids around the world. Because of the progress you helped us make, World Vision is now writing new legislation with congressional champions and other NGOs that will go even further to curb global violence against children, including early marriage, child labor, and trafficking.

While we work to write and introduce this bill, learn more about ending violence against children using the resources below. Ask your members of Congress to set the stage for future action by cosponsoring the Resolution to End Violence Against Children.

Jenny Yang
Jenny Yang is an External Relations Office for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, in Washington, DC, where she works to build U.S. government support for UNHCR's  mission and operations. She has worked over two decades in refugee protection, immigration policy, and human rights and was on an active deployment roster for the International Catholic Migration Commission. She is currently on the Advisory Board of Faith and Law, an organization for Congressional staffers to explore the intersection of faith and public policy, as well as the Land Center for Cultural Engagement. She is currently serving as the Catalyst for the Freedom and Justice Network for the Lausanne Movement. Jenny is co-author of “Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate" and contributing author to five other books
Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra
Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra is the Academic Dean of the Centro Latino at Fuller Theological Seminary as well as the Assistant Professor of Integral Mission and Global Transformation.  She is available for speaking, training and workshops in the areas of immigration, faith-rooted organizing, cross-cultural ministry and building vital holistic Christian community.