Every photo you see represents a real child. A name. A neighbourhood. A future that is still being written.
When people begin exploring child sponsorship, one question comes up again and again.
How am I meant to choose who to sponsor?
The truth is, there isn’t just one way. But any way you choose will make an impact. Hope begins the moment you say yes to sponsorship.
Here are a few ways people choose the child they will walk alongside.
1. Sponsor the child who has been waiting the longest
Sadly, some children living below the poverty line wait hundreds of days before they’re sponsored.
By choosing to sponsor the longest-waiting child, you can end their wait at last.
On our Sponsor a Child page, you can choose to sponsor a child who has been waiting to connect with someone like you.
2. Sponsor a teenager looking towards their future
Teenagers often wait longer for sponsorship.
Through your letters and support you can show a young person that someone cares about their journey, celebrates their achievements and believes in the plans they are making for their future.
Sponsoring a teenager is also a way to move with compassion if you’re looking for a shorter commitment. While Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program can last up to 22 years, supporting a teenager lets you walk alongside them for their final years before graduation, cheering them on as they grow, learn and discover their potential with the support of their local church.
Sponsor a teenager today and be part of their story.
3. Sponsor a child who shares your birthday
Some supporters choose a child who was born on the same day they or their children were. It is a small connection, but it creates a shared moment each year.
Two birthdays. Two stories unfolding in different parts of the world. One move of compassion connecting them.
Visit our Sponsor a Child page and you can filter by birth date.
4. Sponsor a child your child’s age
Many families choose to support a child who is the same age as one of their children.
As the years pass, both children grow. They learn about each other’s lives through letters and drawings. For 10-year-olds Sienna and Praise, living in Australia and Kenya, they became to each other sisters across the world. See the impact of sponsoring a child the same age as your child.
A brother. A sister. A friend across the world.
Visit our Sponsor a Child page and you can filter by age.
5. Sponsor a child with high vulnerabilities
Every child living in poverty faces challenges. But some face even greater risks.
Some have lost parents. Some live in communities heavily affected by HIV. Some have disabilities that make life even harder.
These children need neighbours who refuse to look away. When children hurt, we move.
If you have a heart for these children, you could sponsor a child who lives in a HIV-affected area, has special needs, or has been orphaned. To do so, give us a call on 1300 22 44 53 or send an email to compassion@compassion.com.au so we can help arrange this.
6. Sponsor a child living in a country close to your heart
Sometimes the connection begins with a place.
Many Australians choose to support a child in neighbouring countries such as Indonesia or the Philippines. This can make it easier to visit your sponsored child one day! Others feel drawn to communities in Africa or Central or South America.
Wherever a child lives, they each have a story to tell and a brighter future ahead of them.
You can search by country on our Sponsor a Child page.
7. Sponsor a child for a cause you care about
Poverty exposes children to many dangers.
Early marriage. Child labour. Limited access to education. Illness without treatment.
Around the world, millions of children face challenges that should never feel normal. But compassion interrupts these stories.
You might feel passionate about protecting girls from early marriage or female genital mutilation. You might care deeply about helping children stay in school instead of being forced into child labour. Or perhaps you want to make sure children growing up in poverty have access to healthcare and safe places to learn and play.
Through Compassion’s partnership with local churches, children receive the protection, support and encouragement they need to grow safely. They are known by name, surrounded by people who care about their wellbeing and given opportunities that poverty would otherwise take away.
If there is a cause that moves you, you can choose a child whose life is shaped by that reality and be part of changing their story. Visit our Where We Work Pages to learn more about the areas children are facing these harsh realities.
See what your $55 makes possible
When you support a child, they are connected to a local church that knows their name and walks with them as they grow.
Real change doesn’t arrive from the outside. It rises from within communities where people refuse to give up on the next generation. Through the local church, children are encouraged to discover their gifts and grow into the future God has for them.
Your compassion becomes part of that story.
You can help a child discover their God given potential. You can help them believe their life holds more than poverty.
