DCOF supports the delivery of services, the provision of technical support, and system development to improve the safety and well-being of highly vulnerable children and youth (under age 18), especially those outside of family care or at risk of separation. DCOF seeks to build upon and strengthen the capacities of families, communities, NGOs and governments to protect and care for their own children. All DCOF funded activities contribute to the evidence base for the most appropriate and effective practices for ensuring appropriate care, protection and development of highly vulnerable children.

DCOF does not fund the following:

• Institutional care / orphanages (Exceptions may be considered in connection with deinstitutionalization or interim care for street children)
• Significant infrastructure development
• Major relief assistance
• Programs primarily focused on developing education systems
• Programs and activities that are more appropriate for support from other U.S. Agencies, e.g. child labor (Department of Labor), HIV/AIDs (OGAC), TIP (State Department)

The Victims of Torture Program primarily supports programs that help heal the psychological and physical trauma caused by torture. Additionally, the Fund recognizes that communities, along with survivors, need to heal and recover. To this end, the Fund supports programs that affirm the dignity of the survivor by restoring his or her position as a functioning and contributing member of the family and the community.

The Fund works through NGOs overseas that (1) provide direct services to torture survivors, their families, and communities; (2) strengthen the capacity of country-based institutions in their delivery of services to survivors; and (3) increase the level of knowledge and understanding about the needs of torture victimssurvivors.

In keeping with the program's mission, USAID follows five principles guiding programming for torture survivors: 1) improving access to and quality of services available to torture-affected communities; 2) targeting individuals who suffer reduced function due to direct or indirect exposure to torture, and communities with many such persons; 3) building on existing community networks and resources; 4) breaking the silence experienced by individuals and communities affected by torture; and 5) strengthening public response to torture in order to protect individuals against future incidents of torture.

Most LWVF activities are implemented through USAID mission-managed grants and agreements. The majority of LWVF funds are used to support programs and activities that promote appropriate prosthetic and orthotic technologies and support international accreditation and training standards for rehabilitation professionals. LWVF funds also support the design, implementation, and monitoring of programs that provide evidence-based guidance and replicable models for future expansion or replication.

Additionally, LWVF funds are used to influence the state of the art in rehabilitation technology and to influence policy and laws of host-country governments as they pertain to people with disabilities. The LWVF recognizes that the provision of medical services is often the first step in the rehabilitation process. Once quality care is made available, the fund also works to support programs that help survivors integrate into society, their communities, and family. Central to this is support of initiatives to address appropriate vocational rehabilitation and to advocate for, and change, physical and social barriers in transportation, infrastructure, and political participation.

Fundamental principles:

1. Like the provision of prostheses, providing wheelchairs is not just about the chair itself. Rather, it is about increasing the quality of a survivor's life through increased mobility, independence, and integration into society. When the wheelchair itself is the focus, there is a great temptation to take a "one size fits all" approach and mass produce, or collect donated chairs and conduct mass deliveries. Not only are these wheelchairs generally ill-suited to the rough urban and rural environments of low-income countries, but they do not provide long-term solutions.
2. While numerous non-governmental organizations endeavor to provide wheelchairs, few attempt to establish sustainable wheelchair service provision. Shipments of appropriate wheelchairs may provide a benefit to a group of people, but the benefit will be short term if support services, including repair, are not provided in country. Consideration should also be given to supporting local production of good quality, repairable, and affordable chairs in country. Similarly, regional production coupled with local assembly and repair offers opportunities for sustainability.
3. The usefulness of a wheelchair is directly related to the training and expertise of the technician fitting the chair to provide proper assessment and prescription, and basic training in safe and effective use.
4. The provision, or production, of a wheelchair is only a beginning step to enabling wheelchair users to improve their quality of life and play roles within their community. Efforts to provide wheelchairs should also be coupled with investments in local disabled people's organizations and self-help groups, increased opportunities to attend school and be active in the workplace, and advocacy on a local and national level.