How long are children in Holt’s sponsorship program?
How long is my sponsorship commitment?
Can I adopt my sponsored child?
Very few of the children in our sponsorship program are on track for adoption. Most of the children we serve have one or both parents — or extended family — to care for them, but are at risk of separation due to poverty, illness or other hardships. We only seek adoptive families for children who have been relinquished for adoption and cannot be reunited with their family. Sponsorship is not a pathway to adoption, but if you are interested in international adoption, please request free information or reach out to an adoption service specialist at 1-833-346-9044 or adopt@holtinternational.org.
How often will I receive updates about my sponsored child?
Every child and family in our program works with an advocate — a teacher, social worker or Holt staff member — to prepare an update 2-3 times per year. This update may be a letter, photo or drawing from your child, or a note from their advocate. Every three months, you can also respond with a letter to your sponsored child that our team will translate and deliver. And three times per year — at Christmas, for International Day of the Child in June and during back-to-school season in September — we provide additional opportunities for you to send your sponsored child a special card or ornament with a message and photo from you and your family.
What is the process for delivering a letter to my sponsored child?
Your letter will go through a number of hands before it reaches its destination. After our sponsorship team in the U.S. reviews it, we will then have it translated and send it to the Holt team in your sponsored child’s country to be delivered. For children who live in remote, rural areas, our sponsorship staff may only visit each child once every few months. That’s why we ask that you limit your messages to once every three months.
Are my contributions tax deductible?
How much of my contribution goes to my sponsored child?
Holt International strives to maintain a low cost of operation, and in 2019, over 73 percent of your donation went directly toward services for children, families and communities. As we stand committed to being good stewards of your donations, we are always working to increase this percentage. By opting for paperless statements and automatic withdrawal of donations, you help us cut the cost of printing and processing.
Does my donation go directly to my sponsored child?
Instead of directly giving a family $34 each month to care for their child, we provide resources and support that help families get their feet on the ground, and then guide them as they learn, grow and create a stable future — with their children in school, consistent food on the table and the ability to consistently meet their child’s needs. This approach is far more empowering and effective in the long term — a valuable lesson we’ve learned throughout our 64-year history of serving children. To read more about this, click here.
Why do children have more than one sponsor?
Because of the unique needs of the children we serve, the cost to serve each child is often higher than $34 per month. The children in our programs often have special medical or physical needs, are orphaned or displaced, and/or live in extreme poverty and difficult-to-reach rural areas. For this reason, most children in our programs receive support from more than one sponsor. We pool all sponsorship gifts, which allows us to serve even more children each year in the most cost-effective ways.