Child Sponsorship Program - Sponsor a child online

Why sponsor a child?

Purpose

Millions of children, especially girls, are denied access to basic rights. Sponsor a child to support their right to go to school, to be healthy and to enjoy equal opportunities.

Connection

Sponsor a child and share letters, drawings and photos to build a personal connection. You’ll hear firsthand from your sponsored child how your support is making a difference.

Progress

When you sponsor a child, you’ll receive inspiring updates about them and their community and the achievements your support helps make possible.

Community

As a child sponsor, you partner with entire communities to lead sustainable, community-wide change, like improving schools or boosting family income sources.

Why sponsor a child?

Purpose

Millions of children, especially girls, are denied access to basic rights. Sponsor a child to support their right to go to school, to be healthy and to enjoy equal opportunities.

Connection

Sponsor a child and share letters, drawings and photos to build a personal connection. You’ll hear firsthand from your sponsored child how your support is making a difference.

Progress

When you sponsor a child, you’ll receive inspiring updates about them and their community and the achievements your support helps make possible.

Community

As a child sponsor, you partner with entire communities to lead sustainable, community-wide change, like improving schools or boosting family income sources.

Every child you sponsor can make the community stronger. SPONSOR A CHILD

Children in sponsorship communities are more likely to attend school.  

Girls in sponsorship communities are less likely to face gender-based violence and early and forced marriage.  

Sponsorship projects help improve sanitation infrastructure and access to clean water. 

Children in sponsorship communities are more likely to have access to nutritious and sustainable food sources. 

Children in sponsorship communities are more likely to be registered at birth, improving access to rights.

Children who receive letters from their sponsors report greater health, happiness and confidence! 

Plan International partners with communities, creating lasting, positive change in the lives of 1.3m+ children across 50+ countries. 

From identifying challenges to implementing solutions, the children of families who choose to enrol play a key role throughout the decision-making process.

Sponsorship programs helps foster trust and collaboration with communities, attracting institutional funding and multiplying the positive impact..

The Plan Effect

Beyond Traditional Child Sponsorship

How Sponsorship Maximizes Impact

The Plan Effect is our unique approach to sponsorship and community-based programs. It creates holistic developments for children and their families, from improvements in health care to increases in girls’ school enrolment and anything in between.

Learn more

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.

Africa Asia Americas

Our work in Africa

See Child Sponsorship programs in action through children’s lens in Africa! 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

Watch other sponsored children’s stories

Our work in Asia

See Child Sponsorship programs in action through children’s lens in Asia! 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

Watch other sponsored children’s stories

Our work in the Americas

See Child Sponsorship programs in action through children’s lens in the Americas! 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

Watch other sponsored children’s stories

Impact stories from sponsored children

Child Sponsorship creates sustainable change for children and their communities. Hear from some of these inspiring sponsored children and community members.

Ronald (centre) with his brother Alfred, 13 (left), inside his piggery in Uganda

Desiree Buitenbos

From sponsored child to agricultural expert: Ronald's story of success

Watch how Child Sponsorship enabled Ronald to kickstart his own thriving pig farm, unleashing potential years later.

Child Sponsorship

The Power of Your Sponsorship

When you sponsor a child, you fund life-changing projects in your sponsored child’s community – projects that help children access their basic human rights.

Adequate nutrition

Almost one third of children in developing countries don't get enough to eat. Malnutrition is the result of a combination of factors that influence a community's health and well-being. With your support, Plan International Canada will teach sustainable farming techniques, provide safe water and sanitation and opportunities for education.

Water and sanitation

Girls often carry the burden of water collection which can mean travelling long distances every day, missing school and being exposed to risky situations along the way. Help girls, families and entire communities gain access to safe, clean water and proper sanitation.

Health care

Each year, around 9 million children die needlessly from preventable and treatable illnesses before they reach their fifth birthday. Together with our sponsors, Plan International Canada works to improve health care for mothers and children, so children have the healthiest start in life.

Education

When you sponsor a child, you help build new schools and educate communities on the importance of sending and keeping girls in school.

Family income

Child sponsors help support vocational skills training. This strengthens girls’ economic independence, helping them gain employment and giving them greater decision-making power over their lives.

Child protection

We work to ensure that all children, especially girls, are registered at birth. Without birth registration, children can’t prove their legal age or claim protection under any legislation specifying a minimum age for marriage. Birth certificates also enable children to gain access to critical services and resources.

Adequate nutrition

Malnutrition can stunt children's development and pull their focus away from education. With your support, Plan International Canada will teach sustainable farming techniques, support school meal programs, and provide food rations and vouchers in emergencies.

Water and sanitation

Health care

Each year, around 9 million children die needlessly before they reach their fifth birthday from preventable and treatable illnesses. Together with our sponsors, Plan International Canada works to improve health care for mothers and children, so children have the healthiest start in life.

Education

When you sponsor a child, you help build new schools and work with communities to promote the importance of sending and keeping girls in school.

Family income

Child sponsors help support vocational skills training for youth. This strengthens girls’ economic independence, helping them gain employment and giving them greater decision-making power over their lives.

Child protection

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to your Child Sponsorship questions.

View full FAQs

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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