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Sponsor a Child, Transform a Life
A Lifeline for Children in Crisis
The work of Wide Horizons For Children takes us to parts of the world where children live on the edge. These children and their families aren’t just dealing with a single crisis: They live each day engulfed by crises — war, famine, disease, lack of sufficient shelter — all beyond their control. Having to deal with any one of these crises would be extremely difficult, but when they combine to form a perfect storm, the confluence of crises can be unfathomable.
And that’s when a family is tipped over the edge into extreme poverty.
When a family is tipped over the edge, that’s the point when an orphan might be created. Sometimes, that situation involves the death of one or both parents, and the child is truly an orphan. But other times, the unthinkable pressures put on the family can break it apart, and the parents or parent can no longer support their child or children.
We do everything we can to help prevent a child from becoming an orphan. Through our work of almost 50 years working with orphaned and abandoned children, we’ve learned an essential truth: that by intervening early — before a family is pushed over the edge — we can help keep that family together. We can help a family survive, stabilize, and thrive.
Every child needs a stable, loving family. That’s where Family Preservation — with Child Sponsorship at its core — is so effective.
Family Preservation is a holistic approach to providing these families in crisis with the stability they need to navigate the brutal consequences of the crises they face, and help them reach the other side.
We have programs in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Burundi and India.
That Family Preservation work is our primary focus today. To match the complexity of the needs of children in crisis, our Family Preservation work is personalized to each child and family, as each situation is unique. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t transform a child’s life as deeply.
Why Sponsor a Child Through Wide Horizons For Children?
Great Life Transformation
What matters most to us is how our work truly changes a child’s future. Our Child Sponsorship programming is proven to change the future for each child and their family.
Great Return on a Sponsor’s Investment
Your money really does change lives and the trajectory of a child’s future — and more quickly than in other sponsorship programs.
Great Community Impact
More children in crisis in a community can be a part of our sponsorship programs because, on average, each family of a sponsored child achieves self-sufficiency faster.
Ready to sponsor a child?
Meet the Children
The Road to Transformation
Child Sponsorship is the flagship program of our Family Preservation work. While you may be familiar with child sponsorship, not all child sponsorship programs have the same transformative impact on the future of a child in crisis and their family.
What Makes a Child Sponsorship Program Impactful?
| THE ESSENTIALS | WHFC’S APPROACH |
| Tailored Help: The services each child and their family receive are tailored to their particular needs | ✔︎ |
| Expert Assessment: A qualified expert — such as a trained social worker — assesses and monitors each child and their family, adapting the services as required | ✔︎ |
| Food Security: Ensuring that each family has food to eat | ✔︎ |
| Education: Enabling each child to go to — and stay in — school | ✔︎ |
| Reliable income: Each child’s parents are given help — ranging from grant to skills training, among other assistance — to set up a small business capable of generating a reliable source of income for their family | ✔︎ |
Combined, these categories and approaches transform a child’s future better than any other methodology. How do we know this? Because this is and has been our protocol — and our impact results speak for themselves. In Ethiopia, for example, before we started our Child Sponsorship program, 96% of families in those communities lived in extreme poverty. After five years, more than half were above the poverty line and well on their way to becoming self-sufficient.
Before Child Sponsorship
After Child Sponsorship
Source: WHFC Ethiopia Monitoring & Evaluation Data, 2015-2022
Don’t take out word for it
Hear their stories
Laxmi and Mayuri.
Child sponsorship gave this mother and daughter the help they needed to secure their family's future.
Sneha.
How education, made possible by sponsorship, changes a child's future.
Sofia.
How her child sponsor took Sofia from living in fear of gang violence to dreaming of becoming a nurse.
Nigist and Meseret.
A child sponsor changed the future for these two sisters.
Ashenafi.
Ashenafi's life — and that of his family — has been transformed by his child sponsor.
Saloni.
How a child sponsor helped Saloni overcome loss and illness, and pursue a graduate degree.
Dawit.
All Dawit needed was a helping hand. And his child sponsor made sure he got one.
How to Sponsor a Child
To renew your current sponsorship, click here.
1
Pick a Child to Sponsor
You can choose the child you want to sponsor – and you have options that allow you to search by country, gender, and age. Or if you like, we can select one for you.
2
Select a Payment Option
You can pay $38 each month or $456 once a year. It’s your choice! Either way, you’ll be transforming a child’s future!
3
Time to Connect!
We will send you a welcome packet, containing your sponsored child’s photo, personal story and some tips to help you start getting to know your sponsored child and their culture. You can exchange letters, photos and cards with them… deepening your connection every time something is shared.
Testimonials
In their words…
Sponsorship FAQs
Q: How often will I hear from my sponsored child?
A: You will hear from your sponsored child two times per year. Your child’s social worker will help prepare an update about your child and their family. Your child will also write a letter and send photos.
Q: Can I send something to my sponsored child?
A: You are welcome to send cards, letters, or photos to your sponsored child at any time. Due to shipping limitations, we are unable to send packages.
Q: Can I visit my sponsored child?
A: If you’re planning a trip to the area where your sponsored child lives, we will do our best to arrange for you to visit them. We cannot guarantee that you’ll be able to meet them in person, as there are many external factors — particularly ones that could impact their and/or your safety — that might prevent this from happening.
Q: How long are children in the child sponsorship program?
A: A child remains in the program until their family is able to provide a safe, stable home environment, become self-sufficient, or the child completes their educational track. We work with every family in our program to create a sustainable, long-term plan for the future. Some children graduate within three to five years, while others take longer.
Q: How long is my child sponsorship commitment?
A: While we hope you’re able to continue to support your sponsored child for as long as they are in our program, sponsoring a child is voluntary and you may choose to end your sponsorship commitment at any time. When your child and the family graduates from the sponsorship program, we will introduce you to another child who needs your help. To cancel or change your sponsorship commitment, email us at sponsorship@whfc.org or call (781) 894-5330.
Q: Does my donation go directly to my sponsored child?
A: Yes, your donation pays directly for the personalized care your sponsored child receives. After a trained social worker has assessed this child, they receive a customized, intensive set of resources and services that help them achieve success as soon as possible.
Q: Are my donations tax-deductible?
A: Yes! Wide Horizons For Children is a tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. We will send you a receipt acknowledging your tax-deductible contributions. For more information or specific questions, email us at sponsorship@whfc.org or call (781) 894-5330.