If you sponsor a child, you’ve probably noticed some updates this fall. The most obvious one: Compassion has stopped sharing children’s full names. It’s part of our ongoing efforts to protect child privacy in a digital world.
We’re living in the Information Age, and we all know that information can be used for bad or good purposes. To heal or to harm.
The internet, social media, computers, mobile devices — all this technology has enhanced our lives undeniably. On my trips to impoverished communities around the world, I have seen more and more people on the street using smartphones. Even in small towns, it’s not uncommon to pass internet cafes. This increased connection creates new opportunities for people in poverty to gain knowledge and steady employment. Many young people in Compassion’s program are learning computer skills to help them compete for high-paying jobs someday.
But as we all know, the Information Age has also created new risks. People who seek to exploit and abuse will always find ways to do so — and technology is one of those ways. Such people could use children’s full names to identify and find them.
So Compassion is making ever-greater efforts to protect children’s names and locations — and, therefore, their privacy and safety.
A Shift to Preferred Names
Instead of seeing Compassion-assisted children’s full names — their first and last names and anything in between — sponsors and the public now will see the name each child goes by in everyday life.
These names are not made up or “assigned” by Compassion. They are the preferred names told to us by the children, or by their parents if the children are too young to say.
It’s the name they’re called by their friends, their family and those who know them best.
In most cases, your sponsored child’s preferred name will be the same as their first name, or an easily recognizable nickname (like “Ricky” for Ricardo). No big shock there.
In my case, I’ve seen a small difference in how my sponsored child’s name appears in recent email updates from Compassion. She actually has two first names, like many people in Spanish-speaking countries. I was always unsure of what to call her in my letters, so I’ve been greeting her with both first names, which feels a little formal. I just learned that her preferred name is Valeria — the second of her two first names. Makes sense! I’m glad to find out what she goes by in her everyday life in Mexico.
The use of unfamiliar nicknames creates another scenario in which a child’s preferred name differs from their full name. Some kids go by nicknames like Ángel or Junior — even if their given names sound totally different. So you might see your “Alejandro” become “Junior” and wonder what’s going on. Just a cultural difference in nicknames!
You can expect to start seeing your child’s preferred name on:
- new photos and letters
- your My Account
- the Compassion Mobile App
- your giving statement
Protecting Children … Together
If you’re a parent or grandparent, you probably think twice before revealing personal information about the kids in your life online. Our decision to stop sharing Compassion-assisted children’s full names is just our way of giving them the same level of protection. Safeguarding children cannot be overemphasized. In the words of Megan Kelly, Senior Child Protection Advisor for Compassion:
“For us, safeguarding is foundational to our ministry.”
We’re so honored to have partners like you standing beside us to protect the most vulnerable. We know how much you care about the child or children you sponsor, and we promise to stay vigilant in protecting them in every way we can!
17 Comments |Add a comment
I totally agree and appreciate the fact that you are protecting the child by only using their first or preferred names.
I’ve also noticed that there is less information about the child when you are looking for a child to sponsor. Before you would click on a child’s name and see a litle bit of their story – which I found beneficial in choosing my kids. Something in the info. tugs at my heart and makes me feel God is leading me to sponsor him/her. I hope this is something you will comsider putting back onto the sponsor page.
Thanks for all you do.
Cathee
Hi Cathee. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. We really appreciate your feedback, and we will be happy to pass it along.
I always appreciated this! I think the kiddos’ privacy needs to be protected.
Just wondering… I’ve noticed that recently several kiddos have no photograph on the website. Is this for the same reason? Are they perhaps particularly vulnerable? I was thinking of sponsoring a kiddo without a photograph, though I wasn’t sure if there was a reason for the lack of photograph. I think if that’s the case (protection) it might make sense to share this information on the kids’ bios (why no photograph is available)?
Perhaps there’s another reason, though.
Hi Mariah! Thank you for joining us in protecting children! Regrettably, there has been a tech issue causing some of the kiddo’s photos not to appear. If you find any specific examples of this, will you please email us at [email protected] with the child’s information? This will help us as we continue to work on this issue. Thank you so much!
I love this! I try not to share my name or certain other things anywhere unless I absolutely need to for some justifiable reason.
I must share, just so you are aware, I was troubled today when I saw my sponsored child’s name was actually provided on my profile. I was going to compose a letter, and the child’s full name showed up. Specifically, for your information, it was on the letter-writing portion of my profile. There was an alert that I had a letter from this child in process. Trust me, I was so excited to have a letter on the way! However, I am one of those (crazy/overprotective) people. I didn’t want to know my kid’s name. Is this happening to any other sponsors?
Hello! Thank you for your comment as well as your question! We definitely understand your caution towards giving out your public information as well as seeing your sponsor child’s full name listed. We have been in the process, as mentioned, of sharing only the child’s preferred name; and we are happy to look into this situation further for you. To protect your information as well as your child’s ID number, please feel free to send us an email to [email protected] so we can look at your account and the name of your child. Blessings to you!
I was wondering why I received a letter from Abraham instead of Gabriel? Possibly this? I’m assuming that is the case.
Hello Guy! This is most likely the case, but we would be happy to check on this for you. You are welcome to send us an email at [email protected], so that we can look into your account for you. Thank you for blessing your precious child with your sponsorship!
This information is very important in regards to child protection. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing this information regarding child protection.
Thank you for protecting these precious children.
In God’s world we have to be one step ahead of these predators.
Susan Stack
I’m so sorry we cannot designate certain gifts such as a well or goats to a certain person o family. It was explained that it is to attempt to not have someone/family from receiving more that another.
I think it’s a great idea. There’s no reason for us sponsors to know the child’s full name. The article mentioned hiding locations, too. I hope we at least have an idea of where they live so that if there is a natural or political disaster we can know if our child’s area was affected.
Missy, there is no plan to remove child location information at the moment. Information that may be removed or altered in the future would only be around what would allow someone to physically locate a child. For example, community name may be removed in the future. However, this is an ongoing and evolving project, and we have not yet reached that phase. Updating children’s names is phase one of a much larger project, and please rest assured that we will inform everyone of what information is being altered as we go along. Thank you for your care and concern!
This is helpful info! Thank you
Are children also only going to receive sponsor first names? They could easily pull up information about us online and even see pictures of our homes.
Fritt, since this is an ongoing and evolving project, you will see incremental changes. At this time, we are focusing on the children’s names, but there will be future communication regarding sponsor names. Please know that we care deeply about protecting both the children and the sponsor’s privacy. If you have any additional questions, you are welcome to email us at [email protected]. Have a blessed day!