ABSTRACT
This paper analyzes the United States of America (U.S). House Resolution 1409 (H.R.1409) also referred to as the “Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005 (AOVC).” This legislation enables the U.S. to provide support to orphans and other vulnerable individuals including those subjected to violence and other forms of exploitation due to Human Immune deficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the developing countries. The Act is administered through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Using the Multi-Phasic Policy Analysis Model (MPAM), the author assesses the AOVC implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa (36 countries), using the Annual Congressional Reports and data from the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The reports and data were subjected to the six criteria of the MPAM. Focusing on 2005 and 2011, lessons learned show that improvements are needed, despite the progress the AOVC has recorded in addressing the needs of vulnerable children in Sub-Saharan Africa. This analysis also includes recommendations for social work policy, practice, and research.
