Child Sponsorship Programme

Developing, discipling and equipping children for life

Compassion's Child Sponsorship Programme is the heart of Compassion's ministry to children living in poverty. It aims to disciple, equip and enable children to develop into fulfilled and responsible adults.

The Child Sponsorship Programme is operated through a Child Development Centre which is run in partnership with a local church in the child's community. Child sponsorship is a one-to-one relationship between a sponsor and a needy child living in desperate poverty in the developing world.

The faithful financial support of the individual sponsor equips the child for the future by providing for their core needs – spiritually, economically, physically, socially and emotionally.

Compassion's Child Sponsorship Programme offers: educational opportunities, including literacy and life skills training; health care and health education; and, if required, supplemental nutrition. Children are also given opportunities to hear and respond to the gospel.

The unique structure of the one-to-one sponsorship model allows sponsors and sponsored children to have input into each other's lives by writing letters, and through prayer. Many Compassion sponsors also take the opportunity to visit their sponsored child.

Compassion child development centres

Compassion's holistic child development activities take place at church-based child development centres. Sometimes activities take place in the church building or the church may have another facility designated for the child development centre.

Programme activities vary in detail according to the culture, environment, or needs of the area where the individual centres are located. However, there are common elements in all Compassion child development centres which ensure that all Compassion-assisted children are given the greatest opportunity to be released from spiritual, economic, social, emotional and physical poverty.

Children who attend Compassion projects come from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds. We help the neediest children in a community regardless of their faith. However the parents of children are made aware that Compassion is a Christian organisation.

It costs just £21 a month to sponsor a child and transform a life.

Visit our Church Partnerships page to find out how you can support a group of children in a specific country, region or community with your church.