The effects of poverty are devastating and affect every area of a child’s life. Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program sets the foundation for life-changing opportunities, but every Compassion assisted child will, at some point, require care beyond sponsorship’s reach. Critical Needs and the Child Sponsorship Program work side-by-side to equip Compassion's local church partners with the resources to provide holistic support and long-term, customised solutions for children, their families and communities.

As many families living in poverty are already struggling daily, when a crisis hits—like the COVID-19 pandemic—they can be left without any income and are unable to put food on the table. Their living conditions make even basic hygiene practices difficult, which are essential to limiting the spread of the virus and maintaining good health.

Whatever the need may be, Critical Needs equips local church partners with the flexibility to respond and provide urgent support to children and their families when and where it’s most needed.

You can:

Find out more about Critical Needs

Learn more about how the Child Sponsorship Program works