While all Center Visits are currently suspended due to COVID-19, we hope you’ll continue to dream about and plan for a time when you can experience Compassion in person.



About Child Development Center Visits

With Child Development Center Visits, Compassion will coordinate all logistics related to the day you experience at the center. Travelers, however, are responsible for arranging all international travel details outside of the visit day. Seeing Compassion in action is guaranteed to be a lasting memory, and we are excited to assist you on this wonderful journey!

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young boy smiling at camera
large group of children
Arranging Your Visit
  • Eight Weeks Advance Notice — Compassion requests that you submit a visit request form a minimum of eight weeks’ notice prior to the date of your visit.
  • Location — Compassion prefers to host center visits in the same city as our field office. Please refer to the Child Development Center Request Form for a list of cities that are available to visit.
  • Visits Are Conducted Monday through Friday — Visits are limited to weekdays during regular business hours. A center visit is limited to a single day, averaging a few hours.
  • Child Development Center visits are for those not meeting a child
  • International Travel Arrangements — When you have registered, and everyone in your party has completed the necessary documents, your Visit Specialist will submit your request to our local field office. Although no visit date can be guaranteed in advance, Compassion will make every effort to arrange your visit accordingly. If you decide to make travel arrangements (such as purchasing flight tickets) in advance, and your visit is subsequently declined by our field office, Compassion is not responsible for your costs.
  • Starting the Process — While all Custom Visits are currently suspended due to COVID-19, we hope you’ll still continue to dream about and plan for a time when you can experience Compassion in person.
How It Works
  • Review Process — A Visit Specialist will review your visit request form and send you a personalized email with a link to register for your visit and complete some necessary documents.
  • Necessary Documents — Each adult visitor (18 and older) must complete a background check, and every visitor (both adult and minor) must electronically sign the release form.
  • Arranging Logistics — When everyone in your party has completed the necessary steps, your Visit Specialist will submit your request to our local field office and begin communicating with our field staff to arrange the logistics.
group of children smiling
child playing jump rope outside
group of children smiling
Cost and Expenses
  • Cost Estimate — The expenses involved in a Child Development Center Visit depend on the logistics necessary, and may include transportation, host/translator services, activities, and meals on your visit day. Visit day costs are in addition to the non-refundable $40.00 per person background check, and the $25 service fee per sponsor, which covers the sponsor and one guest; the service fee for additional guests is $10.00 per person. A guest is a friend or family member who accompanies the sponsor but is not visiting a separate sponsored child of their own. We are unable to provide an estimate of your visit day costs prior to your registration because each visit is unique, and only our field staff in the country where your sponsored child lives can provide an accurate estimate of the costs in that area. Once you have registered, and everyone in your party has completed the necessary documents, your Visit Specialist will submit your request and the field office will provide an estimate of any anticipated costs specific to your visit arrangements.
  • Detailed Itinerary — When the information is received from the field office, your Visit Specialist will send you an email containing your detailed itinerary, an explanation of expenses due prior to your visit, and expenses that you will need to pay during your visit.
  • Confirmations and Trip Contacts — When you have paid all expenses due prior to your visit, your Visit Specialist will send a final confirmation to you with contact information for your in-country host, as well as any other relevant contact details for the field office staff.
  • Important Guidelines/Policies — Please read our Custom Visit Guidelines and our Expense and Cancellation Policy prior to submitting your visit request.
  • FAQs — If you have additional questions, please refer to our Custom Visit FAQs, filled with commonly asked questions. We also welcome your questions by phone at 800-336-7542, option 2, or by email at [email protected].

What are my other options?

  • Send a Gift Package — If a visit is not feasible for you at this time, we encourage you to contact us for instructions on how to deliver a gift to the country office. Although you may not sponsor a child, we welcome gifts that the office staff can deliver to the student centers for the children to enjoy. We are unable to provide travelers with a count of children who attend a specific student center, but it may be 200 children or more. Therefore balls, jump ropes or other toys that can be shared among the children at the center make a good gift.
Contact Custom Visits

Please call (800) 336-7542 ext. 2, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MT, or send an e-mail to [email protected].