Our statement on the recent USAid freeze

An Opportunity for Transformation?

Family For Every Child are deeply concerned about the immediate consequences of the USAid freeze, which are nothing short of disastrous.

Across our membership and our global movement, we are getting first-hand insights into the breakdown of essential services that are critical for the wellbeing and survival of the most marginalised and vulnerable families. Children’s lives are at risk and long-term damage is happening across thousands of communities. Local CSOs that have been working on the frontline for years, supporting children, bringing crucial services and initiatives to their communities, are now at risk of closing down. Hard won and earned trust with communities is being destroyed.

We express solidarity with everyone who has been impacted by this funding freeze.

The chaos has created shock and outrage across international development actors, but this could present an opportunity for doing things differently.

The debates and initiatives around shifting the power, decolonisation and localisation have yet to deliver the change needed to the international aid system. The crisis has underscored the fragility of the current system. It has highlighted how the power within the minority world can wreak havoc in the majority world without accountability.

This situation demands a new way of upholding social justice, dismantling inequity and protecting children’s rights.

We need a system that recognises and honours the agency of local communities to bring about change for themselves, a system that releases the power of local CSOs to support communities and challenges structural barriers, a system that places resources and decision making where they can achieve the most impactful change.

We cannot let the future of a child be decided in this way.

USAid had an inspiring commitment to localise funding and decision-making. The experience of the current situation has shown that whatever funding mechanisms come into place in the future, they must achieve localised decision-making over resource allocation to protect the most marginalised from the vagaries of a few people far removed from their reality. We call on the sector to accelerate efforts towards rebalancing power to local communities and funding to local CSOs. We urge governments and donors to prioritise direct support for community-led responses—ensuring that no child’s future is jeopardised by the politics of a foreign power.

Regardless of funding uncertainties, our commitment remains unwavering: every child deserves to grow up in a safe, caring family, and we will continue working toward that vision regardless of the shifting political landscape.

This statement has been endorsed by Family For Every Child’s member organisations and Ignite Philanthropy