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sponsor a child faq

What is child sponsorship and how does it help?

A: Child sponsorship helps families and communities overcome the challenges of extreme poverty so they can better care for children. Sponsoring gives children opportunities to grow, learn, and achieve their dreams.

Learn more about child sponsorship! 

Where does my donation go?

A: Your sponsorship gifts are combined with those from other sponsors to support your sponsored child’s community. This allows FH to work with community leaders to ensure that families have the tools they need to become resilient and children can flourish. 

Can I visit my sponsored child?

A: Yes! It is a wonderful experience for both you and your sponsored child. Because of all the arrangements that must be made, these visits require a minimum of eight weeks’ notice. Call us at 866-307-3259 or email sponsorvisits@fh.org to start planning your visit now.

How often will I hear from my sponsored child?

A: You’ll hear from your sponsored child a few times throughout the year. If you write, you may hear from your sponsored child more often. A sponsor can look forward to receiving up to four letters in a year from the child they sponsor, even if the sponsor doesn’t send any letters.

How do my letters get to my sponsored child?

A: The journey of a sponsorship letter video shows how your letters will be hand-delivered to your sponsored child! Because mail service is unreliable or non-existent in the communities we serve, we first have you send the letter to our US office, where we review and bundle it with other sponsors’ letters. Your letter is then sent to our FH  staff in the country where your sponsored child lives. They, in turn, translate your message and deliver it to your sponsored child.

When will I get a response letter from my sponsored child?

A: After you send a letter to your sponsored child, it will take a minimum of 90 days to receive a response from them. Watch the journey of a sponsorship letter video to see how letters travel to and from your sponsored child. 

How do I pause or cancel my sponsorship?

A: We understand circumstances can change that may need to pause or cancel your sponsorship. If this happens, please call us at 866-307-3259. Our child sponsorship team will be happy to assist you.

Can I send a gift directly to my sponsored child?

A: You can send paper-based gifts directly to your sponsored child. You can include one item with each of your letters. Examples are coloring pages, activity sheets, bookmarks, stickers, and photos.

Read more about our full gift policy here.

Don’t see your question or the answer you’re looking for here?

We’d love to hear from you. Please call or email us!

You are about to embark on a new FH Donor Experience

If you need assistance, please contact us at donorhelp@fh.org or 866-307-3259.

Gift Policy:
You may send small, flat paper-based items that can fit into a standard #10 size envelope, have a value of less than $5 dollars and weigh less than 4 ounces. We ask that you send small, flat items of this size because shipping is expensive and even small gift items can cause issues clearing customs.

You can send postcards or photographs, however, we ask that you visit here for more details about culturally appropriate guidelines for photos and other images. Please write the child’s ID # on the back of each item that you enclose with your letter to ensure that it reaches him/her.
 
Best gifts to send your sponsored child:
  • Paper dolls
  • Postcards
  • Pictures of yourself or family
  • Sports cards, individual cards (baseball, soccer, football)
  • Stickers (flat, paper-based, only a few at a time)
  • Paper-based simple bookmarks, stationery, drawing, or writing paper (single sheets)
  • Coloring pages (single sheets, not books)

Please do NOT send:
  • Monetary gifts
  • Liquids, candy, or food
  • Batteries or magnets

Please note, all items should be compliant with airline transport and safety regulations. Gifts that don’t meet the gift policy will be donated to a local Christian non-profit organization in Phoenix, Arizona, that works with low-income families. We will not be able to return them.