FAQs - World's Children

Frequently Asked Questions

What does sponsoring a child involve?

What are the costs of sponsorship and are there any hidden expenses?

Are my contributions tax-deductible?

How much of my sponsorship money goes toward the child?

Can I select the child I wish to sponsor?

Are all the children really orphans?

Is communication permitted between me and the child I am assigned?

How do I start my sponsorship?

Can I terminate my sponsorship at any time?

What happens if the child I sponsor leaves the orphanage?

Can I visit the orphanage I am sponsoring?

What if I want to help but don’t wish to communicate with a child?

What kind of payments do you accept?

What does sponsoring a child involve?

When someone decides to become a sponsor of a child, they have a personal relationship with that child. The children in our homes come from difficult backgrounds and they appreciate the emotional encouragement that comes from knowing someone in America cares about them. We will assign you a child and send you a welcome packet with information about sponsoring and about “your” child including their history, a photograph, birth date, and a letter from the orphanage administrator telling you about the child. Twice a year the child will write you a letter telling you about herself or himself. Some children can speak and write English and some do not. For those who do not, they will write in their native language and the orphanage administrator will translate on the back of the child’s letter. You will receive progress reports and we’ll send you an updated photo of your child each year.

What are the costs of sponsorship and are there any hidden expenses?

The cost is only $25 a month, less than a dollar a day. Most sponsors send their payments by the month, quarter or year. We have no plans to increase this recommended fee. Some people who cannot afford this amount have asked us if they can still sponsor a child and pay what they are able and we always say yes. Every dollar helps and the emotional benefit to a child who has a sponsor is very important. If you wish to donate toward a birthday party or Christmas gift, you can do so. In fairness to all the children, sponsored as well as unsponsored, we ask the orphanage to hold a monthly party for all the children whose birthday falls in that month. A cake is shared by all the hostel children and gifts such as sports equipment, games and books are given to the children at the birthday celebration. Similarly, at Christmas the orphanage and gifts of equal value are purchased and given to all the children in the home. You are under no obligation, however, to give extra money for birthdays or Christmas.

Are my contributions tax-deductible?

Yes. World’s Children International (WCI) is a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization, EIN # 20-5270353. If you live in the USA, you may take a tax deduction to the fullest extent allowed by law for your contribution. Save your WCI receipts for your tax records.

How much of my sponsorship money goes toward the child?

80 cents of every $1.00 goes to the home where your child resides.

Can I select the child I wish to sponsor?

There are approximately 5,000 children residing in the 54 orphanages we support. Only 1,400 of those children have sponsors through WCI. So we currently have several thousand children awaiting sponsorship and it would be impossible to provide photos and information on every child to prospective sponsors. So we select a child and send you the information you need to decide whether or not to sponsor this particular child. But you can tell us the age and gender of the child you would like to sponsor and you can select the country where you’d like to sponsor a child. Your child will call you “Uncle” or “Auntie.” This is one of the sweet customs of India and is a term of both endearment and respect. Many of our sponsors have had very meaningful and cherishing relationships with the children with whom they correspond.

Are all the children really orphans?

Many of the children are true orphans with no living parents. Others are semi-orphans, meaning that one parent is deceased and the surviving parent cannot care for their son or daughter alone. Some children have two parents but the family is so poor they cannot support their children. In India, where most of our hostels are located, girls are often discarded by their families; sometimes left at the gates of an orphanage, sold to a brothel or intentionally abandoned in a crowded marketplace. Boys are favored because they are expected to provide for their parents in their old age, while girls will require an expensive marriage dowry that is traditionally paid to the groom’s family. For this reason girls far outnumber boys in our Indian orphanages. The pain of rejection they feel from abandonment is offset by having a kind sponsor and the nurturing environment of the home that has taken them in.

Is communication permitted between me and the child I am assigned?

We feel communication is important for both the sponsor and the child. The child learns there is someone who cares for them and the sponsor knows there is a real child benefiting from his or her compassion.

Twice a year WCI sends two-way correspondence and progress reports about the children to the sponsors. With your sponsorship receipt, we send and a monthly letter to donors who do not have email. For sponsors who have email we have a color monthly email newsletter with photos and we prefer to email receipts so we can be as “green” as possible.

How do I start my sponsorship?

Just click here and we’ll start your sponsorship right away.

Can I terminate my sponsorship at any time?

Yes. You do not sign a contract with us and you are under no obligation to continue your support. You can cancel sponsorship at any time. To cancel, just write or email so we know that you want to end the relationship you have with certain children.

What happens if the child I sponsor leaves the orphanage?

Children usually leave a home for one of two reasons. True orphans have nowhere else to go and they will stay in the home until they complete high school, at which time they will leave to start a family, begin a job, or in some cases attend college. Children who have at least one surviving parent are sometimes removed from the orphanage because they are needed at home. When this happens, we contact you and ask if you would like us to select another child for you.

Can I visit the orphanage I am sponsoring?

If you wish to visit the home you sponsor, we can contact the home and see if they can accommodate your visit. Several of our sponsors have done this and were so moved by what they saw that they went home resolved to do more for those orphanages in the future. Many of the homes are located in remote areas where transportation is not up to our standards, and accommodations will be rustic at best. But your experience will be life changing and you will quickly forget your own lack of comfort as you experience the love and gratitude of the children who welcome you.

What if I want to help but don’t wish to communicate with a child?

Some donors don’t care to have a one-on-one relationship with a particular child. We are grateful for those individuals who make a regular or one-time donation to help one of our homes.

We also have projects to improve conditions in schools and homes. Many of the homes we support were built by missionaries in the early part of last century. At that time the home churches of these missionaries provided funds for administration and maintenance. But in India and some other countries the missionaries were either asked to leave by the host government or they were moved to other areas of the world. The orphanages they left behind had no source of revenue and they were forced to rely on overseas charities like World’s Children International for their survival. After decades of inadequate funding the infrastructure of many of these facilities is in pathetic condition, with crumbling walls, leaking asbestos roofs, contaminated water wells, and unsanitary toilet buildings. WCI seeks patron saints who would like to improve the living conditions in one or more of our homes. Visit our urgent needs web page.

What kind of payments do you accept?

World’s Children International uses PayPal for electronic payments. None of your sensitive information, such as your credit card number or bank information comes to World’s Children International. We believe PayPal is the most secure and flexible option for receiving your donation.

If you prefer, you can mail a check to: WCI, PO Box 2708, Corvallis, OR 97339 or use your bank’s “Bill Pay.”

World’s Children International (EIN: 20-5276353) PO Box 2708 Corvallis, OR 97339, (541) 230 1191, info@worldschildren.org

Get e-newsletters