By partnering with the ACC International Relief Child Sponsorship program you can make a difference in the lives of children across the globe. The best way to help improve the life of a child is to make changes to the world in which they live. Child Sponsorship helps make those changes possible.
SPONSOR A CHILD
Child Sponsorship focuses on supporting a child within their own community. The finances raised from the sponsorship of each child are pooled to contribute towards community development initiatives. Through this method of sponsorship children are given the opportunity to gain an education, have access to food, clean drinking water and appropriate medical attention.
The Child Sponsorship program works closely with our Community Development projects which benefit the wider communities as well as the individual children.
Your money is pooled together with other Child Sponsorship pledges from the same project and sent directly to our on field project managers who administer and disperse the funds. Research has shown that this is the most affective way to achieve lasting change in the lives of each individual child as well as their community.
How are children selected for sponsorship?
Children are selected based on what the specific project is looking to achieve and the program you choose to support:
CHILD SPONSORSHIP
Children sponsored through the community development Child Sponsorship programs ($38 per month) are selected based on their family situation. If a child’s family cannot afford to send them to school, provide regular meals and correct medical attention that child may be eligible for the Child Sponsorship program. They are then selected based on desperation of need according to our project managers.
RESCUE A CHILD
These children have acute needs due to the experiences they have been subjected to or are highly vulnerable to. Intervention includes specialist care including medical, psycho-social, pastoral and specific rehabilitation depending on the individual case.
Where children and young women are at severe risk of having no other choice than to be exploited because of poverty we intervene by providing a save, secure home-care environment with house mothers and 24/7 specialist care. Those children and young women who are exiting prostitution, enslaved labour or other forms of abuse are given separate accommodation also in a home environment that is safe and secure with around the clock supervision.
How does child sponsorship fit with Community Development?
Children are the future of any community. Educating and equipping children with life skills not only benefit them as individuals, but also benefits their communities as they will be able to rehabilitate and become a contributing member. Child Sponsorship also provides opportunities for community development initiatives like well-building, agricultural training etc. which will in turn give a greater sense of pride to the community as they will be able to work towards becoming self sufficient.
How long will my sponsorship last?
Your sponsorship of each child will last until the child has turned 18 or graduates from a program (this usually means they have completed school or vocational training). You will be notified when this happens and automatically allocated a replacement child. If you wish to cease support at anytime, all you have to do is notify our Melbourne office.
What if my child leaves the program?
Although receiving a reallocation child may be disappointing to you, it usually means good news. Usually it indicates that the child’s family has become self-sufficient and no longer requires outside support, or the child has graduated from a specific school/program and has decided to move on to greater opportunities. If your child leaves the program you will automatically be allocated a replacement child and information regarding this will be sent to you via post.
Can I visit my sponsor child?
It can be a great ambition/dream of a sponsor to visit their sponsored child, and whilst ACCIR will make every attempt to facilitate a meeting. However, we would like to let you know from the start that the protection of the child is paramount and our primary concern. Sponsors seeking to make a visit are required too contact ACCIR at minimum 4 months prior to their departure date in order to gain approval to visit their child. The sponsors shall consent to covering all costs associated with obtaining a police check, a Working With Children Check and supplying ACCIR with at least 2 referees. It is the strict policy of ACCIR to refuse visitation of sponsors arriving at a project office without ACCIR endorsement or having been denied approval to visit. Sponsors shall be accompanied by an ACCIR staff member at all times, and visits shall never take place in the Childs home. Sponsors who have visited their sponsored child previously, shall adhere to the above requirements on all subsequent visits. ACCIR reserves the right to deny visitation of sponsors if any of the above requirements not adhered to, or if there are concerns regarding the protection of the child.
Can I choose a child to sponsor?
You can choose a country, age and gender of child to sponsor and every effort will be made to allocate the preferred child. However, if none are available you will be given the child who has been waiting the longest to be sponsored.
Can I send gifts to my sponsored child?
The simplest and most practical gift is money through the correct channels. If you desire to send a monetary gift we would ask that you send the funds to our office clearly marked with ‘child gift’ and the child’s code. We recommend that you send amounts between $5 and $15 for the purchase of a good gift. Due to the poverty in the areas we work, we prefer if you designate your gift to provide shoes, clothing or other basic living items are more needed than toys. You may designate to any item you wish the child to receive and every effort will be made to purchase that item for the child in their country.We do not recommend you send parcels as they may “disappear” in the mailing system and also attract high import duties. Larger or more expensive gifts are often seen as culturally inappropriate and can cause jealousy amongst the other children. Small flat items which fit comfortably into a business-sized envelope such as: family photos, bookmarks, stickers etc are acceptable and highly recommended.
What if I can’t make a payment?
If you are having trouble making Child Sponsorship payments imply contact the ACCIR office and specific arrangements can be made in regards to your sponsorship.
Can I cancel my sponsorship?
As the sponsor you reserve the right to cancel your sponsorship pledge at any time. Although this is unfortunate we do understand that circumstances change. To cancel a pledge simply contact the ACCIR office.
Am I the only sponsor for my child?
Yes, ACCIR only allows one sponsor per child.
Can I sponsor more than one child?
Yes, you can sponsor as many children as you like!
How do I update my payments/contact details?
To update any of your details simply call, write or email the ACC International Relief office. Please note: To update Direct Debit details a new form will need to be sent via post.
How do I write to my child?
Writing to your sponsor child is a great source of encouragement for you and your sponsored child. We recommend keeping all letters simple and brief. Australian postcards are one of the best forms of correspondence.When sending correspondence to your child, please ensure you write his/her name and reference number at the top of the letter and avoid writing about material items that may emphasise the child’s poverty. There is no need to include your address on the envelope or in the letter as your correspondence is to be sent to our office and we will forward it on for you.Please allow extended time for a written reply. This is to allow for different postal system standards, translation time and the remote location of some of our projects. Our aim is to provide a reply letter, but there are rare cases where not all letters will receive a reply or a parent, guardian or sibling may reply on a child’s behalf. We can, however, enquire on your behalf to confirm that your letter has been received.
As a sponsor, what do I recieve?
An initial Child Sponsorship welcome pack which includes your child’s profile, sponsorship information and country information. An annual progress report will be sent to you with an updated photo of your child. This report also often includes information on your child’s progress at school.Letters from your child and opportunities to reply. Children love to receive letters from their sponsors and often they will send a reply. This is a great way for you to develop a relationship with your sponsor child and a fantastic source of encouragement to both the sponsor and the child.
How can I pay?
Direct Debit – Direct debits can be set up directly from your nominated bank account. Credit Card – Payments can be made via Visa, MasterCard and American Express.Direct Deposit and Cheque are also accepted methods of payment. Frequency of payments – Payments can be made monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually.
