God sets the lonely in families…
-Psalm 68:6
Family sponsorship is a unique opportunity to walk alongside a family during the time they need support the most. This critical period is defined as the years surrounding the transition of a child from an orphanage into the home of their family.
Your sponsorship begins when we identify a child(ren) living in a Haitian orphanage who can be reunified with their family. It continues through the assessment and reunification process and after the child is back in the home. This time is typically a huge adjustment and requires pastoral care, social work, mental healthcare, and financial assistance. Sponsorship concludes when a family becomes self-sufficient and graduates from our program! In all, sponsorship is a three year commitment.
Through your sponsorship, the family will:
- Learn how to be a family again! There is a lot of reconciliation work that will need to take place within reunified families. Our staff works through trauma and emotional barriers that have been constructed during the years the child was living in an orphanage.
- Work on sustainable solutions to poverty. We will be working with each head-of-house to develop a business plan and teach basic budgeting principles that will lead to financial independence.
- Receive pastoral care and be introduced to the local church community.
- Be encouraged to reach their God-given potential.
What our families receive:
- Regular monitoring of their progress and well-being by local social workers
- Pastoral care and an introduction to the person of Jesus Christ
- Support for small business start up
- Protection from abuse, neglect, and exploitation
- Assistance with education fees, medical care, rent, food, clothing, and other basic needs
- Encouragement from you!
What you receive:
- Welcome packet with family information
- Life event updates about your family
- Knowing you are making a difference in Haiti!
You can help change the life of your sponsored family forever. For $45 a month, you join with other sponsors to keep this family together so their children grow up in a safe and loving home.
FAQs
Can I choose a family? How do I find out more about a family before committing to sponsorship?
Child Hope International has been extremely intentional in not including identifying information about children and families on our website, as we believe in protecting their privacy and limiting their exposure on the internet.
Once you sign up as a sponsor, you’ll be given the information about the family you have been matched with. As a sponsor you will develop a relationship with the family you are sponsoring through prayer, video updates, and letters.
How much does family sponsorship cost?
Family sponsorship costs $450 per month, per child in the family. The funds cover pastoral care, a social worker and psychologist assigned to the family, education fees, and medical care. Depending on the family’s situation they are also used to cover items such as rent, food, clothing, income generating activities, and other basic needs.
The average sponsor donates $45 per month, so we usually have many donors sponsoring the same family. Once a family is fully funded, resources will be allocated where the organization needs it most.
Why is sponsorship limited to three years?
We are very aware of dependency that is often created by aid, and we do not want to feed into that. The goal of our program is for families to feel empowered to raise their children on their own! However, the year leading up to reunification and the first two years after reunification are critical. Here’s what that entails:
Year 1: The child is living at the orphanage, but after extensive family tracing, Child Hope International has identified a relative that can provide a loving, supportive home. Child Hope assesses the family, provides training, and facilitates reconciliation.
Year 2: Child Hope frequently checks in on the family and provides any necessary support.
Year 3: Support continues, but is “tapered down” to empower the family to become self sufficient. We will graduate a family out of our sponsorship program.
Child Hope will continue to help with some expenses like education and medical care even after a family graduates. After your family graduates, we encourage you to support another family in our program!
Does my money go directly to the family?
In most cases, funds are not given directly to the family. Some funds go to support the salaries of staff, and Child Hope International works directly with the schools to cover education fees. We are building partnerships with microfinance agencies to provide business loans to families.
We make every effort to anticipate the financial needs of the family and match donors appropriately. However, in the case of excess funds, those funds will be used where the organization needs it most.
Can I connect with my family outside of Child Hope International?
CHI discourages donors and families from connecting on Facebook or other means outside of our channel of communication. We will do our best to facilitate a relationship which honors you – the donor – while protecting the family’s privacy.
How does Child Hope International share the love of God with families and how do they learn about Jesus?
The Gospel is foundational to all of our programs and we share Jesus with everyone we work with. We have a pastor on staff who provides pastoral care, prayer, discipleship, and connects families with a church in their home community. All of our staff pray for the children and families we serve. However, we serve all people, regardless of their faith.
