Save the Children USA

Save the Children Federation, Inc., more commonly known as Save the Children USA, is a non-profit organization in the United States. Its stated goal is to improve the lives of children in the U.S. and around the world. Its headquarters is in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Save the Children USA
Founded1932
FounderEglantyne Jebb
Dorothy Buxton
TypeNGO
Location
Area served
United States and Worldwide
Key people
Janti Soeripto (President & CEO)[1]
Websitewww.savethechildren.org

The organization was established in 1932 to help children in the Appalachian mountains during the Great Depression. It was modeled on the Save the Children Fund which had been established in Britain in 1919.[2]

Save the Children USA is part of Save the Children International, which operates in over 120 countries. It was rated 4-stars by the Charity Navigator from 2001 to 2014,[3] 3-stars from 2015 to 2017, and 4-stars in 2018 and 2019.[4]

Global operations

Save the Children operates internationally to respond to global emergencies and conflicts which affect children.[5] The organization claims to be capable of assembling a team of skilled health professionals anywhere in the world within 72 hours of a crisis.[6]

The charity works in over 200 of the poorest communities in rural America. Programs are focused on ensuring children are kindergarten-ready, reading by third grade, have safe places to go after school, and maintain reading and math skills over the summer.[7] It also provides relief for natural disasters in the U.S.[8]

Internationally, Save the Children has significant presence in Yemen,[6] Syria,[9] Bangladesh,[10] and on both sides of the U.S. Southern border.[11] It also provided international relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]

Ambassadors

Save the Children identifies its ambassadors as high-profile individuals that are widely-recognized as prominent members of their field and demonstrate a commitment to the organization's mission.[13] Ambassadors promote the organization's work, raise funds, and advocate to create lasting change for children in need. As of July 2023, ambassadors for the organization include Camila Cabello,[14] Dakota Fanning,[15] Jennifer Garner,[16] Enrique Iglesias,[17] and Olivia Wilde.[18]

Research papers

As part of its advocacy role, Save the Children USA commissions research to support its mission. Amongst the reports are a 2016 paper on a method for direct assessment of child development.[19] Stop the War reports, which discuss war crimes against children, were published in 2019,[20] 2020,[21][22] and 2021.[23] The organization also published a report on how COVID-19 has affected children's lives.[24]

Save the Children USA published an annual End of Childhood Report and an End of Childhood Index[25] that evaluates countries against a common set of life-changing events which can signal the disruption of childhood.

Controversies

Sponsorship scandal

In March 1998, the Chicago Tribune reported that the organization was had mishandled donation funds; The investigation revealed that two dozen donors were making contributions to sponsor dead children.[26] In one instance, an American family with the surname "Dixon" had been sending $20/month to a child by the name of Abdoul Kone who died in a donkey cart accident nearly 3 years prior.[27] The scandal resulted in the dismissal of a Mali-based employee.[28] Three additional employees were reprimanded for allowing the deaths to go unreported.[28]

Traces of lead in mugs

In October 1998, Save the Children USA recalled approximately 2,000 mugs when it was revealed that their lead content, while in compliance with Federal guidelines, exceeded the levels of a voluntary standard to be instituted in California the following year.[29]

QAnon attempt to co-opt #SaveTheChildren
Main article: QAnon

In 2020 proponents of the unproven far-right conspiracy theory QAnon attempted to co-opt the hashtag #SaveTheChildren, leading to a temporary block of the hashtag on Facebook.[30] On August 7, Save the Children issued a statement on the unauthorized use of its name in campaigns.[31][30]

References
  1. "Charity Navigator - Historical Ratings for Save the Children".
  2. Hoffman, Marilyn (May 29, 1980). "International agency helps fight poverty with handcrafts". Christian Science Monitor.
  3. "Historical Ratings for Save the Children". Charity Navigator. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  4. "Charity Navigator - Historical Ratings for Save the Children". Charity Navigator. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  5. "What We Do". Save the Children. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  6. "Why Save the Children?". Save the Children. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  7. "Help Save Children in America". Save the Children. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  8. "Emergency Response". Save the Children. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  9. "Help Children in Syria". Save the Children. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  10. "The Rohingya Crisis: Explained". Save the Children. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  11. "What You Should Know about Kids in Crisis at the U.S. Border". Save the Children. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  12. "Help Children Affected by Coronavirus". Save the Children. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  13. "Ambassadors". Save the Children. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  14. "Camila Cabello Vows to Raise $250,000 for Save the Children: 'A Voice Is a Powerful Instrument'". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  15. "Dakota Fanning Is Empowering Girls With Save The Children & You Can Do The Same". Bustle. October 12, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  16. Lauren Lee (July 23, 2018). "Jennifer Garner teams up with Save the Children to fight rural poverty in America". CNN. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  17. "Enrique Iglesias Salutes Fans for Helping Contribute Over $350,000 to Save the Children". Music Mayhem Magazine. October 24, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  18. Saval, Malina (February 25, 2016). "Olivia Wilde Champions Kids With Work With Save the Children". Variety. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  19. "IDELA: Fostering Common Solutions for Young Children" (PDF). Resource Centre. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  20. "Stop the War on Children: Protecting children in 21st century conflict". Resource Centre. February 13, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  21. "Stop the War on Children 2020: Gender matters". Resource Centre. February 6, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  22. "Stop the war on children 2020: Gender matters - World". ReliefWeb. February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  23. "Stop the war on children - Killed and maimed: A generation of violations against children in conflict - World". ReliefWeb. November 20, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  24. "Protect a Generation: The impact of COVID-19 on children's lives". Resource Centre. September 8, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  25. McCarthy, Niall. "The U.S. States Where Childhood Is Most And Least Protected [Infographic]". Forbes. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  26. Anderson, Lisa (March 18, 1998). "Save The Children Reacts To Probe, Plans Reforms". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  27. Dellios, Hugh (March 15, 1998). "Greetings From Grave". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  28. Anderson, Lisa (December 31, 1998). "The Road to Reform". Chicago Tribune.
  29. "Recalls Save the Children Mugs". The Miami Herald. October 31, 1998.
  30. Dickson, E. J. (August 12, 2020). "What Is #SaveTheChildren and Why Did Facebook Block It?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  31. "Save the Children Statement on use of its Name in Unaffiliated Campaigns". Save the Children. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
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