How to Financially Adopt a Child

Here at ChildFund, we occasionally get inquiries about how to adopt a child in need.

The reality, of course, is that we’re not an adoption agency. We don’t facilitate the legal act of connecting families to children, internationally or otherwise, to be raised in their own homes. However, there’s one thing we can help you do as a child-focused charity: “adopt” a kid in spirit, from afar, by providing for their physical and even some of their emotional needs. The way we do that is through child sponsorship.

It can be easy to get confused about the difference between adoption and sponsorship. Let’s shed a little more light on how you can change the world when you financially adopt a child by becoming their sponsor.

Why financially adopt a child rather than go the traditional route?

Sponsor Eleanor Crewe-Cheatham shares a hug with her sponsored child,
Patience, 10, during a visit to her community in Uganda.

First of all, if you are looking to open your home and your heart to a child in need, thank you for your kindness. Adopting a child who has lost their parents, or whose parents are unable to care for them, can provide a safe, nurturing environment and life opportunities that the child would probably not have access to otherwise.

But traditional adoption is also a serious, lifelong investment in the well-being of a child. In particular, international adoptions come with a hefty price tag – and for good reason. The services that connect children with loving “forever homes” are critical to ensuring that those children are protected from harm. In contrast, when you financially adopt a child by becoming a sponsor through ChildFund, your support allows them to remain safely with their own families and thrive in their own communities, all for $39 a month.

That’s about the price of a cup of coffee a day. And while it means that you might not get to hug your “adopted” child in person – at least, not until you’re ready to plan a visit to their community – your financial support, letters and gifts can keep you connected across the miles, creating a lifelong bond. The letters and updates you receive about your sponsored child’s progress make it easy to watch them grow from afar and see the difference you’re making firsthand. And you’ll be making sure that they have access to essentials like clean water, nutritious food, health care and education. In fact, ChildFund is well-known as a top charity for education in Africa, Asia and the Americas. You might be surprised at how much a sponsor’s encouragement can help a child excel in school and follow their dreams.

“Without my sponsor’s support, I’d probably be living out in the country without an education,” says Lizbet, 24, who lives in Bolivia. As a child growing up in extreme poverty, her health and education were in constant jeopardy. “Nancy would always tell me, ‘Keep studying … never give up … just a bit further.’ Thanks to her, I was able to become a nurse. Now, I help other people too.”

Lizbet, 24, holds up a photo from her nursing graduation in
2018. ChildFund is well-known as a charity for education in
Africa, Asia and the Americas. Photo by Jake Lyell.

It’s true: Your sponsored child is probably not going to call you “Mom” or “Dad.” But, depending on your level of involvement, they will likely come to see you as a special family friend, aunt, uncle or godparent. In fact, in some languages, the word for “sponsor” and “godparent” are the same!

Do more than give to charity. “Adopt” a kid who needs your help.

Of course, you could choose to simply give to a children’s organization and call it a day. If you’re looking for adopted kid foundations that take donations, look no further.

But while child-focused nonprofits like ChildFund always appreciate one-time gifts, sponsorship presents an ongoing opportunity to put love in action for a child over time and watch them grow, much the way a parent does. It’s a level of connection you just can’t get by writing a check.

“When I became a sponsor, I saw it more as a charity activity,” says Anna Catarina, who sponsors Joao, 8, in Brazil. “With time, I realized it was much more! When a kid knows that someone likes them and cares for them, even from far away, it makes a huge difference.”

Anna Catarina with her sponsored child Joao, 8, during a visit to Joao’s community.

Through ChildFund, you can do much more for children than just give to a faceless charity. And while we can’t facilitate any legal adoptions, we’re experts in helping people like you connect to a special child who becomes like a member of their own families. Adopt a kid in spirit – become a sponsor right now.