Why sponsor a child?
Purpose
Millions of children, especially girls, are denied access to education, health care and the freedom to choose their own futures. Sponsor a child to support their right to go to school, to be healthy and to enjoy equal opportunities for a better future.
Connection
Sponsor a child and share letters, drawings and photos to build your personal one-to-one connection from around the world. You’ll hear firsthand from your sponsored child how your support is making a difference in their life.
Progress
When you sponsor a child, you’ll receive inspiring updates about them, their community and country, and the achievements your support helps make possible for children’s rights and equality for girls.
Sponsorship search
Sponsor a child today to start creating life-long change around the world. *Leave blank to meet children enrolled the longest and most in need.
The power of Child Sponsorship
Over 1.3 million sponsored children are supported by Plan International globally. Every day, this support helps remove barriers so children can live, lead, decide and thrive. Sponsor a child to start making a difference today.
In sponsored communities, more children are attending school.
In conflict settings, sponsored children are more likely to be birth-registered and more likely to stay in school.
Children have more access to improved water in districts with sponsorship programs.
The Power of Child Sponsorship
A map of Child Sponsorship in action
See Child Sponsorship programs in action through children’s lens with our new interactive map! Discover the positive impact made possible when you sponsor a child and watch as children who participate in sponsorship activities, like mobile journalism training, share a window into their global communities through personally filmed videos.
View interactive mapI am a role model for girls in my community, showing them that they can make it too. As an empowered woman, I am able to empower other women through my work as a health worker.
Thoko,
21, former sponsored child now working for the Ministry of Health in Malawi
After communicating with my sponsor by writing letters over the past few years, I have become courageous and self-confident. I really appreciate my sponsor and Plan International for offering me such a great platform.
Lanlan,
sponsored child in China
The project tells us about violence and women’s rights while teaching us how to play football. Thanks to the projects they sponsor, I have become wiser about my rights.
Sanmya,
sponsored child in Brazil
How does Child Sponsorship work?
Child Sponsorship provides you with a special opportunity to have a unique one-to-one connection with a child and their family in one of the countries where Plan International works. As part of your sponsorship, you can exchange letters and photos, and build a meaningful connection. Each year, you’ll receive updates on the progress of your sponsored child and their community so you can see how your sponsored child is growing and learning. Child Sponsorship programming allows us to combine sponsor contributions to increase impact and establish a trusted presence within communities. This helps secure further grant funding from institutional and government donors to grow community-based development projects, like building schools or water taps, which supports sponsored children and their entire communities.
If I sponsor a child, how long of a commitment do I need to make?
The length of your commitment is up to you. Many sponsors have been with us for many years, which allows us to make long-term commitments to our partner communities. If you choose to end your sponsorship for any reason, please inform us at 1-800-387-1418 so we can introduce your sponsored child to a new sponsor.
Do sponsorship contributions go directly to one child?
No. When you sponsor a child, your contributions not only support the child you are sponsoring, but they also support the whole community! Your contributions collectively support a wide range of programs in your sponsored child's community. With more than 80 years of experience, we know that the best way to help every child unleash their potential is to engage families and entire communities in the change, so they can carry on – and further – the positive impact for many years to come.
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