Analysis of FY 2024 appropriations bills tallies losses to children’s programs

Children could lose more than $4 billion in funding that fights disease, protects maternal health and provides other lifesaving interventions as the Trump Administration dismantles the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to a new analysis by budget and policy experts.

At least $4.005 billion in USAID programs goes to children internationally, according to an analysis by First Focus on Children of Funding Tables in FY 2024 appropriations bills as well as Congressional Justifications issued by the State Department (see below for full methodology). This money funds programs that fight malaria, HIV and tuberculosis, provides nutrition and clean water, ensures maternal and infant health, educates vulnerable children and offers lifesaving interventions in some of the world’s poorest countries.

“Hundreds of thousands if not millions of children will die as a result of cutting this aid, a move that is not only immoral, but illegal,” said First Focus on Children Vice President of Advocacy and Mobilization Leila Nimatallah. “U.S. poverty-focused development and humanitarian assistance costs less than 1% of the federal budget but has an out-sized impact for good in the world. It provides poor children and children with disabilities with clean water, nutrition, vaccines against common childhood killers, protection from sex trafficking and other lifesaving interventions. Foreign aid makes the world a more stable and secure place for all, including Americans. It boosts goodwill for our country, promotes international trade, and reduces the need for U.S. military boots on the ground.”

“The United States already underinvests in children,” said First Focus on Children President Bruce Lesley, “and especially on children overseas. Less than 1% of the federal budget goes to foreign aid, and just 10% of that miniscule amount went to children in FY 2024. We must not allow the world’s richest man, who is unelected and unaccountable to the American people, to unilaterally decide to hurt children. These purges are unacceptable and will lead to more hunger, illness, illiteracy, and death. It is past time for Congress to step up and stop these actions to protect the world’s children and our democracy.”

The cuts for children, as indicated in the Funding Tables in FY 2024 appropriations bills and Congressional Justifications issued by the State Department include:

  • $860.1 million for Maternal and Child Health
  • $665.7 million in the Economic Support Fund, which includes basic education and clean water and sanitation, which protects children from infectious disease
  • $664.4 million in Development Assistance
  • $496.6 million for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
  • $361.7 million for fighting Malaria
  • $220.3 million for Global Health Security
  • $119.7 million for Nutrition
  • $115.7 million for International Disaster Assistance
  • $90.5 million for fighting Tuberculosis
  • $36.0 million for fighting Neglected Tropical Diseases
  • $31.5 million for Vulnerable Children

The Administration’s abrupt shutdown of the aid agency over the weekend stopped the flow of funds to these programs. Billionaire Elon Musk, President Trump’s non-governmental special advisor, illegally dismantled USAID’s operations, seized sensitive information requiring top-level security clearance, and fired thousands of employees, throwing the global development and humanitarian sector into chaos. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has granted limited waivers for “lifesaving” humanitarian and development initiatives, but it remains unclear what these waivers cover and what they do not. Further, funding for these waivered programs has ground to a halt and there are no employees left to implement them.

Methodology: Estimates of total spending for each program listed are sourced from Funding Tables in FY 2024 appropriations bills as well as Congressional Justifications issued by the State Department. For each program, First Focus on Children’s budget team estimates the share of spending that goes to children based on analysis of program and account descriptions that detail the allocation of funds and purpose of each program. For each program in this analysis, we list only the amount of spending that would go specifically to children based on these estimates of spending shares. We include only programs that are administered by USAID rather than the State Department as a whole with the exception of The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which is jointly administered by USAID, State and CDC. For more details, please see the Children’s Budget 2024.