Unsponsored Children Fund

FAQs

• What is a Compassion child development centre?

  Our Child Sponsorship Program and Critical Needs (including Mums and Babies) around the world are delivered through local child development centres. Every child development centre is an outreach of one of the local churches that we partner with in our field countries.

  Each centre:

  • Meets regularly
  • Uses local church facilities
  • Provides program activities for registered and sponsored children
  • Has a committee that provides local accountability and support
  • Has a director employed by the church to manage the day-to-day activities
  • Employs staff and volunteers selected by the local church
  • Operates under Compassion International's carefully monitored standards and guidelines
  • Provides reasonable levels of safety for children relative to the realities of the surrounding community

  Find out more:

  Learn more about the Child Sponsorship Program

  How much time does my sponsored child spend at the Compassion child development centre?

  Give to Mums and Babies

  Donate to Critical Needs

• Why is Compassion Australia not listed with the Australian Council for International Development?

  Compassion Australia is not a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) because of the church-based nature of our child development programs.

  Relying on private funding rather than government grants allows for a primarily church-to-church model of development. We do place a priority on governance, accountability, stewardship and transparency and, as a result, consider the best fit for our organisation are Christian Ministry Association accreditation, Missions Interlink membership, and Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission financial reporting requirements.

  However, this does not mean Compassion Australia could not obtain ACFID accreditation, which we would do if pursuing government grants.

• Do currency exchange rates impact giving a gift to my sponsored child?

  Yes—currency exchange rates vary from country to country and can fluctuate daily. This is why we have a required minimum amount for monetary gifts given to sponsored children, their families and child development centres. While 100 per cent of the gift goes to the child, their family or their centre respectively, a minimum gift limit ensures that once converted to local currency, your gift still has the impact you intended.

• Why is there a minimum and maximum limit on gifts given to my sponsored child?

  Gifts can make a significant difference to a child and their family. Whether you give a birthday, family or child centre gift, there are minimum and maximum limits in place to ensure that your monetary gift has a positive impact. There are three reasons for limits on gift frequency and amounts:

  1. Good development practice: Gifts that are too large or given too often can create dependence, which doesn’t empower healthy development practices for children or their families.

  2. Community safety: Compassion is committed to child protection. Because we serve within the context of a community, we want to ensure that larger gifts don't attract unwanted attention or put children and families at risk of harm.

  3. Currency exchange rates: While 100 per cent of your monetary gift goes to the child, family or centre respectively, a required minimum gift amount ensures that once converted into local currency, your gift still has the impact you intended.

• If I live outside of Australia, can I sponsor a child or donate through Compassion Australia?

  Yes! We welcome sponsors and donors from other countries where there is no Partner Country office.

  Our Partner Countries are:

  • Canada

  • United States of America

  • United Kingdom

  • France

  • Italy

  • Netherlands

  • Switzerland

  • Germany

  • South Korea

  • New Zealand

  Please be aware that if you are a sponsor or donor living outside Australia, we are only able to accept credit card donations in Australian dollars.

  If you live in a country where there is a Compassion Partner Country office, for example New Zealand or the USA, it may be easier and more convenient for you to sponsor through that office. You can get in touch with them through their website (links listed above).

  You can:

  • Sponsor a child
  • Make a donation