Mission Support plays a vital role in the evolution of our programs and how we deliver them. Frequent conflict and natural disasters, growing hunger, the climate crisis and COVID have all demanded our agility and innovation to respond to the world’s most pressing challenges.

“In a world of concurrent crises – climate change, extreme poverty, and conflict - children are the most vulnerable. I provide flexible funding to Save the Children so they can allocate resources quickly and efficiently to provide relief for children in the areas of greatest need before, during and after a crisis.”

– Corinne Basler, Save the Children Board of Trustees

A HEALTHY START

Together with our supporters, we secured our standing as a global leader in improving newborn survival rates. We have achieved remarkable milestones, cutting the number of children dying before age 5 by more than half since 1990. Our efforts in establishing the Healthy Newborn Network in 2010 – the first online platform solely dedicated to improving newborn health globally – have led to the adoption of lifesaving practices.

These interventions include clean umbilical cord care, keeping newborns warm and the use of zinc in oral rehydration to improve diarrhea treatment. Our pioneering research informed World Health Organization guidelines on treating newborn infections, setting standards for care worldwide.   

In May 2023, 21-year-old Sajeda* went into labor in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the sprawling camp settlement for Rohingya refugees. The situation was frightening enough in such a difficult setting – but especially so since Sajeda had lost her first child due to complications from a home birth.   

Sajeda faced yet another, more urgent, fear. The wind was fierce as Cyclone Mocha headed for Bangladesh. Would she be able to get to a health center to give birth? Most clinics had closed because of the weather. A traditional birth attendant knew that Save the Children’s Primary Health Care Center was open and helped Sajeda get there just in time. With support from the center’s trained midwives, Sajeda gave birth to a healthy daughter, Sahida*. 

We followed up with Sahida 10 months later and found her well and even beginning to take her first steps! Sajeda visits the health center regularly for Sahida’s vaccinations and to learn all she can about caring for her soon-to-be toddler. Our Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies toolkit keeps humanitarian providers ready to respond to families’ urgent health needs before, during and following a crisis.

Because babies like Sahida can’t afford to wait for the storm to pass.

A QUALITY EDUCATION

We redoubled our efforts to help parents, preschools and teachers nurture young children's education. Launched in 2009, our Literacy Boost program engages communities in helping children learn to read beyond the classroom – and it’s now in 36 countries. Our stronger commitment to girls’ education gives girls the opportunity to be their own agents of change. And our educational initiatives for displaced and refugee children restore access to learning in some of the bleakest places imaginable, offering hope and a path to a brighter future.

Around the world, nearly 400 million children of primary school age cannot read or write. Many are enrolled in school. Dorica, 11, lives in a village in Zambia that exemplifies the challenges around providing children with access to a quality education – not just seats in a classroom.

Dorica’s parents, who have little education themselves, struggled to help with her schoolwork. Teachers like Mercy saw that students weren’t learning but felt ill-equipped to address their needs. The government curriculum proved inadequate, and some children dropped out in frustration.

That was two years ago. Mercy has seen dramatic improvement since then, which she attributes to Literacy Boost. Dorica’s school is one of 82 in the region selected to participate in the program. Backed by a robust body of evidence for its efficacy, Literacy Boost is designed to guide schools, parents and communities to better support children’s literacy development.

For Dorica, this means her parents are more involved with her education, and Dorica says she is “very happy” in school. “I want to be a teacher when I grow up,” she said.

HUMANITARIAN RELIEF

In the face of increasingly complex crises, we elevated our role as the leading child-focused humanitarian provider. A rapidly deployable Emergency Health Unit (EHU), expertise in providing vulnerable families with cash and vouchers, and pioneering leadership in infant and young child nutrition during emergencies are all recent advances. We are aggressively addressing the intersection of climate change and natural and man-made emergencies, ensuring that children receive the protection and care they urgently need.  

Ahmed*, 10, was severely injured when an airstrike hit a house close to where he was playing with his friends in Gaza. A piece of shrapnel struck his leg and shattered the bone. Many of Ahmed’s friends were killed in the same strike.

Ahmed has endured multiple surgeries and has an external metal fixator on his leg to help the bone heal.

Mohammed*, Ahmed’s father, says the war has had a terrible impact on his son’s mental and physical health. Children are being killed at a devastating rate, whole families are being wiped out, and a growing number of people, including children, are being left with no surviving family members. 

Our EHU is providing lifesaving health care for children and their families in Gaza. EHU Pediatric nurse Becky Platt supported Ahmed at a field hospital, focusing especially on managing his pain and reducing his distress when his wounds are cleaned and bandaged.

The EHU has also set up a maternity unit at the hospital where pregnant women can receive prenatal and postnatal care and support to deliver their babies.

INVESTMENT SNAPSHOT

BOLSTERING HUMANITARIAN FUNDING

Conflict and climate disasters have displaced more children from their homes than at any other time this century, leaving millions in urgent need of protection and essential services.

Unrestricted funding is integral to our mission, enabling us to respond swiftly wherever children are in crisis.

Each year, our board approves leveraging Mission Support to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance globally.  The chart below demonstrates the impact of our strategic investments, showcasing our dedication to reaching children in the greatest need.

Mission Support Allocations to the Children’s Emergency Fund

PROVIDING A HEAD START IN RURAL AMERICA

We built the knowledge and skills of 250 Head Start staff who lead programs for 2,200 children across five states. Through a two-week Summer Learning Institute in 2023, made possible with Mission Support funding, participants improved their skills in safeguarding children, with a special focus on delivering childcare that recognizes and responds to the impact of trauma and stress on children, families, communities and staff.