About Child Sponsorship
Sponsors are linked with children through our child sponsorship program. Meet some of our child sponsors.
1. How much does child sponsorship cost?
2. Where does my money go?
3. How are children selected for the child sponsorship program?
4. How does child sponsorship fit with community development?
5. How long will my sponsorship last?
6. As a child sponsor, what will I receive?
7. Can I visit my sponsored child?
8. Which regions can I sponsor a child from?
9. How is Plan different from other child sponsorship organizations?
1. How much does child sponsorship cost?
Just $24 a month! Your sponsorship will be helping make possible programs that respond to your sponsored child's (and other children's) most basic needs; programs that provide children and their families with better health, better education, safer homes, increased income and more.
- Critical vaccination and nutrition programs
- Pre- and postnatal care for mothers
- Health clinic construction
- Community midwife and health volunteer training
- Community water system and well construction
- Home construction and renovation
- Household and school latrine construction
- Schools construction and renovation
- Teacher training
- Vocational, agricultural and livestock training to improve household food and income
- Access to savings and credit
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2. Where does my money go?
Money raised through child sponsorship goes to projects that benefit the whole community, not individual children. Sponsored children act as representatives of their community.
At least 80% of funds raised internationally go to help poor communities in need. Learn more about how your money is spent.
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3. How are children selected for the child sponsorship program?
The selection of children for sponsorship is determined at group meetings of the community where families and the child volunteer to be enrolled in the child sponsorship program.
Sponsored children do not receive preferential treatment over other children in the village, which ensures that all children receive the benefits of your sponsorship. They do however receive regular monitoring as part of the child sponsorship program, as well as sponsor letters and small gifts which are always cherished and gratefully received.
- Girls and boys are sponsored equally in each community.
- A child will graduate at 18 years of age, unless special circumstances apply.
- One child per household is sponsored. Siblings may be sponsored once a brother, sister or cousin reaches 18 years of age.
- A family may graduate from the program due to improved situation, which will allow another child and family to enter the child sponsorship program.
4. How does child sponsorship fit with community development?
The ongoing commitment of child sponsorship allows a steady stream of funds that Plan can allocate in advance to ensure community development work continues.
The number of children sponsored is directly related to a real figure of resources that are needed to realize the community's development goals. If Plan has not found sponsors for children that are part of the program, then that project is not fully funded.
Communities in need are chosen by Plan through detailed research, which identifies the degree of poverty as part of the assessment.
Plan then spends three to six months consulting with the community. Youth, women, leaders and of course, children are approached individually and in groups to gain a sense of the challenges and priorities of the community.
The next step is to work on a small project that has a short timeframe of around six to 12 months to see how Plan and the community can work together.
After almost a year of community consultation and building relationships, trust and confidence, Plan and the community undertake a child sponsorship program where projects are chosen by the community and facilitated through Plan, which provides specialist training as well as the various resources required to complete the project successfully.
Once the community is considered to have the skills and knowledge to be able to sustain itself, and the desire to build a better life for their children—sometimes after as long as 10 years or so (sometimes longer), Plan withdraws and moves to a new area.
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5. How long will my sponsorship last?
We hope that you will want to be part of Plan’s work for some time. Our work is long-term and committed support from sponsors allows us to achieve lasting results. Many of our sponsors stay with us for a significant number of years and some sponsor several children during that time. Some other sponsors stay with us for shorter periods. However long you will be with us, your sponsorship is very important to us. Children are normally sponsored until they reach the age of 18.
Circumstances can however change during your sponsorship: the child's family might migrate to another area, our work within that community might come to an end or your financial circumstances could change.
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6. As a child sponsor what do I receive?
Child sponsors receive regular information from Plan so that you are regularly updated on the child sponsorship program. You will receive:
- A photo of your child and a sponsorship welcome kit.
- Family Profile report direct from the field which introduces you to your sponsored child and provides information about their circumstances and their community.
- Annual Program communication which explains some of the key Plan projects that are being implemented in your child’s country.
- Plan Passport, our bi-annual magazine packed with interesting stories and articles about Plan’s work around the world.
- Opportunity to send letters and gifts to your child and visit your child in their village.
- An annual tax receipt which allows you to claim the full benefit of your tax deduction with all child sponsorship payments and additional donations.
- The knowledge that you are making a real contribution to ending the poverty cycle for children and communities.
7. Can I visit my sponsored child?
Yes, Plan always encourages child sponsors to build relationships with the child and community they assist, through sponsor visits. Meeting your sponsored child can be a most valued experience that strengthens your relationship and understanding about Plan's work in the community. You are most welcome to visit your sponsored child and observe the community development work Plan has been assisting through your valued contribution. Find out more about visiting.
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8. Which regions can I sponsor a child from?
Plan has child sponsorship programs in 44 developing countries in Asia, West Africa, East & Southern Africa and Central & South America. Learn more about the countries where Plan works.
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9. How is Plan different from other child sponsorship organizations?
Plan ensures that children are at the heart of everything we do. We make this happen by encouraging children to participate and contribute their ideas and opinions so that they are truly heard in their community. Being child centered is the foundation of our organization and those values are represented throughout the work we do and in our approach to community development. We've been helping children since 1937 and are, today, one of the largest, oldest and most experienced child sponsorship organizations.
Plan is non-religious and non-political in its orientation and accepts all children and communities into its child sponsorship program, regardless of their sex, race, political persuasion or religion—poverty does not discriminate so nor do we.
Plan is respectful of all cultural differences and does not promote any religious or political agenda in communities in which we work.
Sponsor a child today!
Not quite ready to sponsor, click here to receive an information packet in the mail.
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