Save the Children USA


Save the Children Federation, Inc., commonly known as Save the Children USA, is a non-profit organization working to improve the lives of children in the United States of America and around the world. Their headquarters is located in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States.
Save the Children USA was formed in 1932 to help children in the Appalachian mountains during the Great Depression, and modeled on the Save the Children Fund which had been established in Britain in 1919.
Save the Children USA is part of the global Save the Children movement, with operations in over 120 countries around the world. Save the Children received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator between 2001 and 2014, a 3-star rating between 2015 and 2017, and a 4-star rating in 2018.

A National Report Card on Protecting Children During Disasters

In 2008, when Save the Children conducted its initial review of disaster preparedness standards for child care facilities and K–12 schools in all 50 states, Louisiana met none of the standards. Louisiana has since revised its regulations to require that all regulated child care centers and homes have written disaster plans for evacuation and relocation and for parent-child reunification following a disaster as well as specific plans to meet the needs of children with disabilities and those with access and functional needs during emergencies. Louisiana joins a list of only 17 states that meet all four disaster preparedness standards.

Controversies

Sponsorship scandal (1998)

In March 1998, Save the Children USA became embroiled in a scandal that was investigated by the Chicago Tribune. The investigation uncovered two dozen donors were making contributions to dead children. The scandal resulted in the dismissal of an employee that was based in Mali. Three additional employees were reprimanded for allowing these deaths to go unreported. An American family with the surname "Dixon" was sending $20/month to a child by the name of Abdoul Kone who died of a donkey cart accident nearly 3 years earlier.

Mugs with traces of lead (1998)

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 in a voluntary standard to be introduced in California the following year.