Children and youth affected by HIV/AIDS face many stressors and competing priorities regarding family, health, education, protection and economic stability. The policy environment created by the Dakar Framework for Action–Education for All created an entry point for governments to respond to the educational needs of orphans and vulnerable children based on locally driven context. The international community has made financial and programming resources available to support education for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS at the country level. Country-level responses have varied, but any measurement of their progress must be framed by the limited available data on children affected by HIV/AIDS, education and the competing national interests within poverty reduction strategies.