UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Fund) began on December 11, 1946, with noble causes: to feed, clothe, and protect children affected by war, famine, and natural disasters. Two successive wars, WWI and shortly thereafter WWII, claimed the lives of between 85 and 105 million people, primarily men. The widows and orphans who remained in the war-torn areas suffered from homelessness, starvation, and disease.

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Compelled to help those in need, the members of the United Nations convened in New York City to establish a UN agency that would distribute food and medicines designated explicitly for children in distress. UNICEF was born, and for the next forty-five years, UNICEF helped heal the world’s children by providing food, medical assistance, clothing, education, and clean water to every woman and child in need, regardless of which side of a war their fathers and husbands supported.

UNICEF’s original mission of serving children in crisis has a stellar track record of successful life-saving programs that assist children affected by war, famine, or natural disasters. A significant part of their success stemmed from their ability to raise funds to underwrite the costs of their programs.

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF: A Legacy of Compassion

Their most successful fundraiser is the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign. The brainchild of Mary Emma Allison and her husband, Rev. Clide Allison, a Presbyterian minister. In the early 1950s, the couple decided to find a way to turn Halloween into something good. Ms. Allison discovered that the UN International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was collecting money to purchase powdered milk for starving children suffering in the aftermath of World War II. She asked the children in their hometown of Philadelphia to collect money and old, repairable shoes for UNICEF. That year, the children collected $17. The program became known as “Kids helping Kids,” and Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF evolved into a successful fundraising effort that eventually collected over $200 million for children in need worldwide. This year, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF celebrates its 75th anniversary, making it the longest-running youth engagement campaign in the U.S.

UNICEF’s Shift Toward Social Advocacy

 In 2018, UNICEF (the UN Children’s Fund) partnered with UNESCO (the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) to produce a revised version of the 2009 Toolkit for Comprehensive Sexuality Education. UNESCO’s Toolkits are not a fixed curriculum, but rather units of material on a wide range of topics on sexuality that an educator may choose as needed to present to a class. The 2018 Toolkit produced by UNESCO included material that addressed gender equality, sexual and reproductive health (including abortion), and inclusion of LGBTQI+ diversity. The project, approved by the UN to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4, which promotes inclusive and equitable quality education.

UNICEF’s participation in the project was a windfall for UNESCO. With an annual budget of more than $9 billion, UNICEF provided funding, expert personnel, and access to hundreds to thousands of UNICEF-supported schools throughout 190 countries.

UNICEF expanded its list of outreaches to children in need to include mental health, enabling them to include in their programs assistance to children questioning their sexuality and promote the acceptance of children transitioning to the opposite sex.

UNICEF’s Toolkit Controversy

UNESCO’s Sexuality Toolkit titled “International and Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education: An Evidence-Informed Approach,” was released on January 1, 2018. The graphic program raised concerns from concerned parents and conservative organizations. The Toolkit comes complete with graphic pictures and instructions on everything from masturbation to telling children how to explore sex with others of the same sex. Austin Ruse, who heads the UN watchdog group, C-Fam: Center for Family and Human Rights, calls out UNICEF’s worldwide promotion of the program as an Attack on the World’s Children. More recently, Mr. Ruse, C-Fam’s Director, released the article, “UNICEF Programs Sexually Groom Children,” providing a detailed list of objectionable practices the UNESCO/UNICEF Toolkit contained.

UNICEF’s future

President Trump withdrew the U.S. from UNESCO on December 31, 2018, dealing a significant financial blow to UNESCO. He also reduced U.S. money going to UNICEF. Both organizations relied on a substantial portion of their budget that came from the U.S. Without financial support, neither UNESCO nor UNICEF would have the resources to continue such an ambitious program.

The President cited “divisive social and cultural causes” as his reason for the withdrawal.

He would later withdraw the U.S. from UNESCO a second time on July 22, 2025.

For years, UNICEF’s board stood with the original intent of the organization to help children in need. The agency’s change in leadership suggests no intention of altering the trajectory of its current woke agenda. The new Director, Catherine Russell, became Executive Director on February 1, 2022. According to Ms. Russell, who served in both the Obama and Biden administrations, her focus will be on protecting children’s rights.

If Ms. Russell needs help, the next proposed Secretary General of the United Nations, Annalena Baerbock, if selected, will continue her stance as an avowed feminist who advocates for the rights of LGBTQI+ individuals and sexual self-determination. She considers her most significant obstacle to be President Trump.

The transformation of UNICEF from an effective UN Specialized Agency with a biblical calling to defend the fatherless and care for the widow (Isaiah 1:7) to an organization that emphasizes sexuality training with no moral compass signals the further erosion of any moral underpinnings the UN had in the past. Created in the wake of WWI that claimed the lives of 15-22 million people and WWII that claimed 70-85 million people’s lives, the founders stated in the Preamble to the UN Charter, We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind….”

How are you praying about UNICEF? Share your prayers and scriptures in the comments.

Nancy Huff is an educator with a mission to equip believers to pray strategically for the Cultural Mountain of Education. She has authored Taking the Mountain of Education: A Strategic Prayer Guide to Transform America’s Schools. She leads prayer groups to pray at key educational locations across the U.S. Currently, Nancy serves as the Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network (HAPN) Lead Prayer Coordinator for the Mountain of Education. For additional information, go to: https://takingthemountainofeducation.com/author/nancyahuff/. Photo Credit: olrat/Getty Images.