Child Sponsorship FAQ

We recognize that financial and other circumstances can change. If you need to cancel your sponsorship, your child will continue to receive care until we find a new sponsor. You can discontinue your sponsorship at any time.

Sponsoring a child is when someone makes a commitment to helping a child in poverty. The sponsor provides financial and emotional support to the child to encourage healthy, holistic development.

When you sponsor a child with Compassion, you help equip a child in extreme poverty with the skills and opportunities they need to succeed ¬— all through a local church that knows and cares for them personally. A few benefits include medical checkups, malnutrition monitoring, vocation training and education assistance.

A "Compassion Child" is a boy or girl living in poverty who is enrolled in Compassion International’s Child Development Program. This child is 0 to 22 years old and is being offered unique care and opportunities through their local church, empowering them to become mature Christian adults.

Our Child Sponsorship Program allows you to stay with your child until they reach the age of 18 to 22, depending on the country.

We hope you’ll be able to support your sponsored child until he or she completes the program, but we recognize that circumstances sometimes change. You may discontinue your sponsorship at any time.

Please understand that a child’s circumstances may change, too. For example, sometimes families move beyond the reach of our program.

We’ll inform you if any such circumstance affects the child you sponsor, and we’ll offer you the opportunity to support another child in need of your help.

It costs $38 per month.

Yes. We encourage you to give additional monetary gifts for special occasions or simply as an act of love. These gifts are another effective way for you to reinforce your care and commitment to your sponsored child. When you give, staff and volunteers who personally know your child will use your gifted funds to buy something your child needs or wants.

You can also send monetary gifts to your sponsored child’s family. Similarly, with your gifted funds, staff and volunteers who know the family will buy items they need, such as new beds, livestock or food supplies. Learn more about gift-giving.

Yes. Each child has only one sponsor, which is why the sponsor's prayers, letters and support mean so much to a child. Our program’s one-to-one match allows sponsors the unique opportunity to instill in children the message that they matter, that they are valuable and that even someone across the world cares about them and their future. The encouragement sponsors offer children in our program is instrumental in their growth and development.

To cancel your child sponsorship, please call us at (800) 336-7676. You may discontinue your sponsorship at any time.

While many organizations focus only on one aspect of poverty, our holistic model focuses on the full development of the child. We release children from poverty physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually rather than just sustaining them in one area.

These three distinctives make our program unique:

Christ-centered
Jesus is the reason we exist as a ministry. Our work is a response to Jesus’ command to love like him and care for the poor and vulnerable. We’re called to fight the lies of poverty — lies that tell a child they’re worthless, that things will never change and there’s no hope. But Christ’s love tells a different story.

Church-driven
We work exclusively through local churches that tailor Compassion’s program to meet the specific needs of children and families in their communities. The children are known, loved and protected through their local church. Church staff and volunteers build relationships with children and foster healthy development day-in and day-out. We believe the church is God’s ultimate plan for releasing children from poverty.

Child-focused
Compassion focuses on holistic development for children. Each child matters to God. And we believe in ministering to individual children because, when they’re empowered to reach their full, God-given potential, they will be the ones to better their communities and nations in the future.

The child you sponsor will receive opportunities and services that most of the world's poorest children never see. Each child has the opportunity to:

• Receive an education:

  In some cases, this means covering the cost of school fees, clothing and supplies. In other cases, it means providing tutoring, help with homework, encouragement and, if necessary, participation in a literacy program outside the classroom.

• Be healthy:

  Your sponsored child’s health will be monitored, and care will be provided as needed. Children are taught about hygiene and how to maintain personal health.

• Develop self-confidence and social skills:

  The child you sponsor will be part of a church-based program where Christian adults offer love, guidance, personal attention, guided recreation and safety.

• Hear the gospel and learn about Jesus:

  Most importantly, your sponsorship introduces your sponsored child to the love of God. The local church displays the gospel and offers them encouragement, a Bible and discipleship.

Your prayers for the health, safety, education and spiritual development of your child are critical. Sponsored children are greatly encouraged when they hear that their sponsors are praying for them.

And remember that your prayers aren’t one-sided. Oftentimes, a sponsored child’s family and church join in prayer with the child on behalf of a sponsor. As you share your own family and personal concerns with your sponsor child, you’ll probably discover that he or she is consistently praying for you.

We do not require you to sign a statement of faith or a statement regarding your religious beliefs and practices. We do, however, seek sponsors who are aligned with our ministry approach and philosophy.

We are an evangelical Christian ministry dedicated to the holistic development of children in poverty. We carry out our programs by partnering with local Christian churches around the world that share our vision for ministry and conduct Christian outreach to local children and families. Our church partnerships are based upon a universal statement of faith developed by the National Association of Evangelicals.

In addition to letters from your sponsored child, we’ll send you periodic updates about your child's progress along with updates about their country and our program there. Through these materials, you'll have a better understanding of your sponsored child's culture and life. You can also visit them.

As a sponsor, you can write to your child, either through physical letters or online through our website or app. Once you become a sponsor, we’ll provide you with guidance and practical tips about writing to the child you’re helping.

After you send a letter, our field staff will translate and deliver it to your sponsored child. You may write to the child you sponsor as often as you like.

Your child will write to you at least twice a year — and up to six times per year depending on the frequency of your letters. A tutor or staff person will help children who don’t yet read and write.

You’ll also receive an annual letter from a local leader, such as a pastor or staff member, to help you learn even more about your sponsored child’s region.

We ask that your communications be consistent with the Christian values and philosophies we share with our church partners. We will not forward photographs and other materials depicting activities that:

• Might be considered inappropriate in another culture.
• Promote lifestyle choices we view as unhealthy and inconsistent with biblically based lifestyles or are otherwise inappropriate for sponsored children.
• Might threaten the safety of the sponsored children in any way.

For example, we will not forward materials that depict or describe the use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, unlawful drugs and materials or activities that we regard as dangerous or unsafe. We will not forward materials or communications that advocate another religious worldview. In addition, we will not forward materials depicting persons dressed in immodest clothing or engaging in activities inconsistent with our ministry values and beliefs.

Yes! We encourage you to join a Compassion sponsor trip and meet your sponsored child in person. It will be an unforgettable experience for both of you! Check out our schedule of upcoming tours.

While we encourage each of our sponsors to write to their sponsored child, you are not required to send letters. Even if you don’t write your sponsored child, your child will write you at least twice per year.

Compassion understands letter writing can be a time-consuming process and strives to make your writing experience as easy as possible. We offer both printed and online letter templates for your convenience.

Jesus is the core of our ministry. His life and teachings shape our programs, reflect the spiritual commitments of our staff, and guide how we love people, respect communities and cooperate with nations.

Your sponsored child will have the opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ and be encouraged to develop a lifelong relationship with God. Because Compassion partners with local churches, children are connected to a local Christian community where they are offered a Bible and have the opportunity to experience the love of God, hear the gospel and grow in their faith.

Yes, sponsoring a child really does help release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

Dr. Bruce Wydick, Professor of Economics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, found that children in Compassion’s program are:

• Up to 40% more likely to finish secondary education.
• Up to 80% more likely to graduate college.
• Up to 75% more likely to become leaders in their communities.

His study focused on 1,860 formerly sponsored children from 16 Compassion child development centers. These once-sponsored children were compared against 3,704 of their unsponsored siblings. By the end of the study, data was collected on more than 10,000 individuals in six developing countries.

Compassion does not offer child sponsorship within the United States. Although we understand and believe there is need within the United States, our holistic child development program has been proven to work best in countries with the greatest need, where we can serve the poorest of the poor.

There is no age limit to sponsor a child. Whether you are 1 or 100, all are welcome!

More than 2.2 million children are sponsored in Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program.

These three distinctives make our program unique:

Christ-centered
Jesus is the reason we exist as a ministry. Our work is a response to Jesus’ command to love like him and care for the poor and vulnerable. We’re called to fight the lies of poverty — lies that tell a child they’re worthless, that things will never change and there’s no hope. But Christ’s love tells a different story.

Church-driven
We work exclusively through local churches that tailor Compassion’s program to meet the specific needs of children and families in their communities. The children are known, loved and protected through their local church. Church staff and volunteers build relationships with children and foster healthy development day-in and day-out. We believe the church is God’s ultimate plan for releasing children from poverty.

Child-focused
Compassion focuses on holistic development for children. Each child matters to God. And we believe in ministering to individual children because, when they’re empowered to reach their full, God-given potential, they will be the ones to better their communities and nations in the future.

Ultimately, our goal is to take a child from the brink of survival to abundant life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Currently we work in 29 countries, divided into four areas:

• Africa: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda.
• Central America and the Caribbean: the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.
• South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
• Asia: Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
• Upcoming Countries: Malawi, Zambia, Cambodia and Myanmar. Click here to learn more about our expansion work.

Yes. Over the years, we’ve partnered with many Christian musicians, speakers and ministries who share our heart for impoverished children around the world.

These spokespeople not only have a strong desire to serve as advocates for children in need but also sponsor children themselves. In fact, most of them have visited our child development centers and witnessed the life-changing effects of child sponsorship.

We often provide our partners with financial assistance. Our investment in this area has a twofold benefit: Tens of thousands of new child sponsorships are acquired while supporting other Christian ministries that are also building God’s kingdom. In this way, these relationships are both fiscally and spiritually responsible.

In 1952, the Rev. Everett Swanson was preaching in Korea. Moved by the plight of Korean War orphans, Swanson established a program allowing caring people to provide food, shelter, education, medical care and Christian training for those orphans. Swanson’s program became the basis for what is now Compassion International. Today, our history can be traced through more than 40 countries over 70 years.

Compassion’s Christian commitment has never wavered. We are keenly aware of the part we can play in fulfilling the Great Commission. All our employees are committed followers of Jesus Christ, dedicated to developing children worldwide — and we work exclusively through local churches.

We work with local church partners representing more than 65 denominations. Our statement of faith is the same as that of the National Association of Evangelicals.

We work exclusively through local churches to assist children, and because church-based child development centers tend to average about 180 children, the local staff are personally acquainted with each sponsored child and his or her unique needs. Those who personally know the child ensure that they receive the care and attention they need.

We conduct regular audits to make sure funds are properly received, tracked and managed. Every financial process — from local child development centers to the Global Ministry Center in Colorado Springs — is regularly audited both internally and externally.

But it’s not enough to ensure that funds are reaching your child’s development center and being spent on planned activities. Like you, we want to be sure that real development is taking place in the life of every sponsored child. We work hard to monitor and evaluate each local center in terms of program effectiveness and long-term impact — right down to the individual child. Any time we see an irregularity, we take immediate and appropriate action.

Yes. Compassion is audited each year by an independent accounting firm. We publish the entire report on our website. Accountability is a commitment and a value that drives our whole organization. We are committed to earning and keeping your trust.

If you have any questions about financial issues, please call us at 800–336–7676.

Yes. All contributions are tax-deductible in the United States. As a requirement of the 1993 Revenue Reconciliation Act, we verify that no goods or services of value are given to you for your contribution.

We are happy to share that COVID-19 is no longer an active crisis for the children in our care. Thank you to everyone who dedicated time and resources to ensure the children and families in our programs continued to receive care and support. Your generosity helps them overcome the long-term effects of the pandemic, providing them with a space to recover and grow. Today, most centers are meeting in person or using a hybrid model, depending on the needs of the community. Our church partners comply with local regulations for safe gatherings, and letter and gift deliveries are no longer delayed due to pandemic-related issues.

“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done” – Proverbs 19:17