Written by: Web Team
We’ve noticed variations of these questions popping up in several of our posts about letter-writing. So we approached Bill Dunigan, a man for the people and a team leader in our contact center, to help us address them.
Thanks Bill.
Can I stay in contact with my child if he or she graduates or leaves the sponsorship program?
If you tell us you want to continue writing to your child, we’ll send you information to read, sign and return to us.
The form we send will describe what your new relationship will look like and will give us permission to share your contact information with our country staff, who will then share it with your child. If your child wants to keep in touch with you also, he or she will send you a letter or an e-mail to begin the conversation.
The main thing to keep in mind is that translation services no longer will be provided —something to consider if you do not speak the child’s language.
Also, since the child will be out of our program, we cannot make any guarantees about the regularity or quality of the correspondence from the child. Plus, we won’t be able to help with questions that may arise.
And finally, it’s important to know that sharing your information means you could potentially be contacted by others, such as your child’s relatives, friends or acquaintances who might want to contact you for personal gain.
Why do children leave the sponsorship program before graduation?
The reasons children leave can vary.
- Sometimes kids leave because their family’s financial situation has improved and the family thinks Compassion is no longer needed.
- Often we see a child leave because the child needs to be at home to take care of a younger sibling while the parents or guardians work.
- But the most common reason is the family has moved to a place where we do not have a child development center, and the move typically occurs because the family is seeking a better life with greater economic opportunity.
What happens to a child who graduates from the sponsorship program?
It’s a good question.
With more than 1 million sponsored kids in 25 developing countries, the answer could be as varied as a response to: What do young people in the U.S. do when they complete high school or college?
While the specifics are different in an environment of severe poverty, young people in developing countries have the same general aspirations as we do: They want to create a better life for their families, the people of their communities and themselves.
In releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name, our sponsorship program focuses on each child’s spiritual, economic, social and physical needs. When a child completes the program, he or she has had opportunities to know and understand the Bible, and receive Jesus as Savior.
Also, the child has been reminded of the importance of making thoughtful decisions about health, nutrition and sexuality, and will have learned at least one income-generating skill.
Finally, social skills gained while in the program will help the child be comfortable in personal interactions as well as in the larger context of community.
All of this combines to highlight our holistic distinctive, with the Good News of Jesus at the core.
But what does a child do when graduation arrives?
Our country staff tell us of young men in Africa who become car mechanics, or earn a living as a bus driver in their country’s tourist industry.
Some kids go on to higher education in the country, possibly through our Leadership Development Program.
A girl in Haiti may use her sewing skills to make and sell clothing in the market. A boy in Uganda may use his agricultural skills to raise a crop to sell.
Many Compassion children are taught the art of serigraphy — making T-shirts or decorative cloth using the silkscreen process, to sell in a local market or as a street vendor.
Often, children learn about hydroponics, cultivating plants in a nutrient-rich solution rather than soil.
Last year, Compassion U.K. published a feature in its magazine about this very question. It’s called “The Class of ’85: Where Are They Now?” Take a look.
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June 3rd, 2009 at 5:40 am
Thanks for answering those questions
I would LOVE to continue to write my children after they graduate…to see where God takes them 
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:02 am
“The Class of ’85: Where Are They Now?”
It was great to see the results!
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:04 am
Gonna check out “The Class of ’85: Where Are They Now?” right now!
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:16 am
Thanks for answering some of our questions about children leaving the program. I had a sponsored child who was departed from the program after the post-election violence in Kenya. Compassion didn’t have specific information on why she left; just that she hadn’t returned to the CDC for several months (I’d imagine this was the case for a lot of children). If she should happen to re-enroll in Compassion’s program at some point, would I be contacted about sponsoring her again? Or would she go through the normal process that a newly enrolled child goes through?
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:08 am
I would love to keep in contact with my children after they graduate, but since my oldest is 12, I have a few years before I have to think about that.
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:17 am
I put a similar question to the pastors of our church partners that I met.
Consistently I was told that the local church continues to guide, equip and track that young person (sometimes up to two years) through their transition as a productive Christian adult.
That answer seemed so obvious after it was spoken. It IS the role of the church (your church and mine too) to minister to the needs of their congregation, community and the world.
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:09 am
Thank you so much for that blog.
I like the class of 85. When I was in Bolivia, I actually met with Miguel that was in the magazine. So, it was nice to see him in there.
I would love to see all of the magazines of the current countries on line like that and maybe have one general page with links to all of them, including what is covered in the magazines.
I got a question, that I actually spoke with Miguel about.
Are there any statistics as to what the “success” rate is of the children that graduate?
I.e. these types of questions:
What percentage has broken the cycle of poverty that now their children would not need a sponsor?
What percentage is still actively participating in a local church?
etc…
On the topic of staying in touch with the children after they graduate, I can’t imagine not… I’m busy learning Spanish for those days and when I visited them, we’ve actually spoken about that and they’ve expressed an interest too to be in touch.
Blessings,
Kees
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I agree wholeheartedly with Kees! How could you NOT want to stay in touch with your child? So much love has developed from the time spent writing, praying, loving…….it would be like saying goodbye to your own child just because they graduated from high school. I can’t imagine it! I would be interested to hear from anyone who has kept in touch with their child. How did you go about doing it? Was the language difference a problem. Just curious. Thanks.
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:19 pm
One of the children we sponsor is graduating this fall. She has two younger siblings. I am wondering if, in fact that family continues to be eligible to register with Compassion, will I be given the opportunity to sponsor one of the younger children in that family?
I have spent time with that sponsored child, and been to her home. I’ve met her extended family, and would love to sponsor another child in that family if possible.
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Great post…I’ve wondered about all of these questions before.
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:18 pm
My child writes in Amharic, but I am hopeful that I could hire someone to translate for me. We have an Ethiopian restaurant in town and students from Ethiopia live here. I’m sure there must be a way…I think I read that Amharic is going to be the latest release for a Microsoft product…and as for the internet, well, Ethiopia can just about go nowhere but up in availability of the internet
I wish we could invest in internet and solar power in that country! There is so much potential there! Our kids could work to get that country on solar electricity like the “Light bringers” in one community did…I wish the kids from India and Ethiopia could cooperate to realize this…
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:36 pm
I was wondering if there is an age limit as to when your sponsored child must leave the Compassion program? One of my sponsored children is almost 19 and is going to a university, but she must still be going to the Compassion Center too? I just wondered if there is an age where the sponsorship is over?
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Thanks for this!
My children are far from graduating. I wish I spoke their languages so that corresponding would still be possible.
I had the sad thing happen in one of my 10 year olds leaving very early. No on could tell me why exactly and parents don’t have to say. But I do miss Delia. It will be a year in July. I did get to send her one last letter. I appreciate Compassion letting me do this!
Even though I no longer have contact with Delia, I do still pray for her and still wonder about her. I think I always will. I hope to meet her in heaven some day.
June 4th, 2009 at 8:38 am
@Amy – We would definitely contact you.
It doesn’t happen very often, a child leaving the sponsorship program and then returning, but when it does, we do contact contact the former sponsor and ask offer the opportunity to sponsor the child again.
June 4th, 2009 at 8:50 am
@Michael – You wouldn’t be automatically contacted because our systems wouldn’t make the connection of your child graduating from the program and another child from the same family being registered in the program at the same time as your current child’s graduation.
June 4th, 2009 at 9:56 am
I liked the idea of hiring a translator if necessary. What a great idea and it would definitely be worth the cost just to be able to continue to stay in touch. I have lost two children in the past year. One child had a baby and left the program and one child was taken out of the program and sent to a Buddhist monastery. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about these two children. I will pray for them forever.
June 4th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Thanks Chris! I have been wondering about that for a while, and I appreciate you taking the time to answer.
June 4th, 2009 at 10:58 am
This is excellent! Thank you so much for this great information –
June 4th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Hi.
My children are all in Africa. Other than those mentioned in the post, what other income-generating skills are taught to children in countries like Tanzania and Uganda? I wonder what the options are for them and how I might encourage my kids.
At what age does vocational type training generally begin for most of Compassion’s kids?
My oldest child (15) is also my newest sponsorship so I don’t know much about her yet but she IS an orphan and I wonder how well equipped she would be if her grandmother could no longer care for her and her siblings.
June 4th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Has anyone else had experience with staying in touch with their sponsored children after graduation?
I haven’t read too much about that on the blog so maybe it is not a common practice for most sponsors.
June 4th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
The first child I ever sponsored through Compassion graduated from the program a couple of months ago at the age of 17. She lives in Peru.
Believe it or not, but we’re actually in touch with each other through Facebook (and I have her email address as well). I haven’t heard from her for a while – she was borrowing a computer from her uncle for her continued studies, but I am confident she has access to a computer/internet even though it might not be on a regular basis.
June 4th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
I’m a little concerned about what happens when a child leaves the program, but from the sponsor’s perspective as well. A few years ago, I knew I had an extra source of income for a limited time and so purposely sponsored an older child (in addition to the younger child I still sponsor). When my older child left the program, I was *automatically* assigned another child. I contacted Compassion and explained that I couldn’t financially commit to another child. About a week later, I received a letter saying “we understand why you have to stop sponsoring” the child I’d been assigned and asking me to write a farewell letter to her — and I’d never sponsored her in the first place.
This is only mildly frustrating from my perspective, but I *really* hope that the poor little girl I was assigned wasn’t told one day “great news — you’ve been sponsored!” and then soon after “oh sorry, guess not after all.” I would think that might be a little traumatic, or at least discouraging, for a child, and I really hope this kind of thing doesn’t happen again!
June 5th, 2009 at 11:58 am
@Michael – If you call the contact center (800) 336-7676, the sponsor relations representative can determine if one of the siblings is registered and awaiting a sponsor. If so, you can sponsor the child.
If nothing comes up, the representative can have a memo sent to the field to see if a sibling is going to be registered.
June 5th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
My sponsored children are not at the point of graduating yet, but I’m definitely interested in completing the Continuing Correspondence Form when the time is right.
I’m aware that Compassion will no longer be the “mailbox”, but am excited this option is
offered by Compassion.
I agree with Barbara M.(#8) I can’t imagine not being in touch with my sponsored children.
June 5th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
hmm…interesting comment, Shannon. Hope you get an answer, because that would be really hard on the child. I know that the kids aren’t told they have a sponsor until after the first payment is made at least.
But I wasn’t aware that new children were automatically assigned to a sponsor after a previous child leaves the program…I’d much rather be able to select a new child from a specific country or project when the opportunity comes up, instead of being randomly assigned one. Is that possible?
(I shouldn’t have to worry about this for a few years yet, but I am curious.)
June 6th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Since training and working in intl child development w/ 2 agencies, I maintain concern about the long term effects of sponsorship benefits: education, nutritional and health training and monitoring, Christian education, and the international aspects of cross-cultural communication, primarily through letters. Please advise of any studies of follow up. Older sponsored children w/vocational and higher ed are such a small percentage – great to highlight. However, it would be helpful to see research results indicating life styles, income generation, spiritual maturity, and other indicators compared to their specific cultural groups. I know ministering helps! Bless you for such outstanding outreach!
June 7th, 2009 at 9:35 am
I,too, have questions about the futures of these children. I sponsor a child through another agency as well and my child is in secondary school in Rwanda. His older sister graduated from secondary school some years ago and now at age 23 cannot find support or employment. When my 15 year old child finishes school will he meet the same fate? Some of my children with Compassion live in areas where most of the adults are unemployed…….so what is THEIR future? Secondary school is wonderful if it is available but then what? We are always told “They will be taught a trade……a trade for what? If their parents are out of work where are all these jobs coming from? I would be SO interested to see a discussion on this topic.
June 7th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
I am curious to see a response to Tina’s question. When a sponsored child graduates, is a new child randomly assigned or can sponsors choose their next child, if they desire to continue sponsoring?
June 8th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
@Stephanie G -
Yes. Sponsors can definitely choose their next child and often do so based on many variables: name, age, gender, birthdate, country, continent, student center, length of time waiting for a sponsor, whether the child is in a region affected by HIV/AIDS, whether the child is mentally or physically challenged, etc.
June 8th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
@Shannon K, @Tina, @Stephanie G –
When a child leaves the sponsorship program, we ask ourselves two questions.
We call sponsors if they have sponsored the child for 10 years or longer; or if the reason the child is leaving the program is because the child has married, is pregnant or has run away.
On a phone call, we explain why the child has left the program, and we ask that second question above.
A yes or no to the first part of the question – Does the person want to sponsor a new child? – is pretty straight forward: help select a new child or annotate the account that a new sponsorship is not desired.
If the person wants time to think about sponsoring another child, we send a packet with a child’s photo and biography for the sponsor to review, consider and pray over.
If we do not hear from the sponsor within five weeks, the child is added to the sponsor’s account – a process that is explained during the call.
If after receiving the child packet the sponsor does decide to help another child, we don’t require the person to accept the child that was sent. The sponsor can choose a different child by calling our contact center.
If we don’t call the sponsor about the child’s departure from the sponsorship program, we will send a letter instead, and with the letter we will include a child’s packet for consideration. This is what Shannon experienced.
The letter requests the sponsor call us within five weeks if he or she does not want to sponsor the child or if the sponsor wants to sponsor a different child.
Children are only told they have a sponsor when the child is “officially” added to the sponsor’s account.
A child is “officially” added to a sponsors account when we have been clearly told by the sponsor, “Yes. I want to sponsor another child,” or when the five week consideration period elapses without the sponsor expressly telling us no.
June 8th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Bill -
Thanks for responding to my question — it’s something that had been on my mind for over six months. I’ve found myself praying occasionally that my inability to sponsor the little girl I was assigned did not cause her to feel rejected, and it’s quite a relief to know that I didn’t inadvertently traumatize her!
If I might make a suggestion…it would be kinder (to the sponsor) and also more cost-effective if Compassion didn’t send the “we understand why you’re discontinuing your sponsorship” letter to individuals like me who cannot take on an additional child. I called Compassion to inform them of my decision the very same day I received the original letter (which announced that the girl I had previously been sponsoring was leaving the program), so it’s not as if the five week consideration period had expired.
Thanks again!
June 8th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
@Chris Giovagnoni –
Thanks, Chris, for letting us know that. I appreciate the choices Compassion gives us as sponsors.
June 8th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Bill,
I appreciate the thorough explanation. I continue to be impressed at how Compassion handles situations like these with sensitivity and care for both the children and the sponsors.
Thanks so much!
June 8th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Fun post!! I hope to be able to communicate with my children when they graduate the program. I was given the option of corresponding with one of my girls when she graduated into LDP but then we found a way to keep sponsoring her.
June 8th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
@Bill Dunigan – Thank you for explaining how the new child packets are sent out when one child graduates. One of my Grandmother’s children is about to graduate (August) and we had talked about looking at the website together to choose a new child. My grandmother has sponsored this boy for 14 years so I assume that means that she will get the call and that she can tell the rep not to send a package but that she would be adding a child from the website soon. Is that right?
June 8th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I sponsor a young man in Honduras. In the child information section it says his completion date is 11/1/09. Is this the date he will graduate from the sponsorship program? If so, will I be notified beforehand? Also, I believe I read that I could give him a monetary graduation gift?
Thank you
June 9th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Amy:
If a child does come back to Compassion, once the staff has that child re-enrolled in the program they send on the information to us here in the US. If the child previously had a sponsor, we will contact that sponsor and give them the first opportunity to sponsor.
June 11th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
@Julie –
Yes, your child will complete our program at that time, or within weeks of that date. You will be notified shortly after the child completes the program, typically within several weeks.
You can give a final monetary gift of $10 to $300, provided the child has not left the area in which he or she attended our program. If the child did leave the area, we could not accept the gift money, because we might not be able to deliver it to the child.
June 15th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
@Stephanie G – I’m the only one manning this fort, so I apologize for the delay in answering your question.
Here’s what the folks in the contact center shared with me.
With that said, you may want specifically ask your children what they may be learning at their centers or what sort of vocational training is offered.
I’m also trying to find out the types of vocational training that are most common in Uganda and Tanzania. I’ll let you know what I learn.
June 17th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
@Stephanie G – The Tanzania office shared the following with me.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:10 am
@Chris Giovagnoni –
Chris,
Thanks for finding that information. Four of my kids are in Tanzania, and most are in the age range mentioned, so that info. will help me ask more specific questions in my letters.
July 31st, 2009 at 9:22 am
I have a correspondence child in Ethiopia who is scheduled to finish the program next June. I’m concerned about him, because I get the impression that he may be a little slow. He’s in the 9th grade. I’ve tried to encourage him to prepare for a money earning activity to do when he graduates. I wish I knew more about the culture, and exactly what kind of jobs might be available to him, or what he has prepared for, if anything. I’ve only had him a short time, but he has been on my heart. His name is Muluken.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:46 pm
@Jan Woodford – Jan, I share your concern. I have several children who are older and some do seem quite…….well, as you said, slow. I wonder what will become of them as far as their future. So many of the adults don’t even have work in some of these areas. What will become of these children? They are always on my heart as well.