Length of Sponsorships

A child can be registered into the Child Sponsorship programme as young as one year old and up to 10 years old. 

The aim of sponsorship, especially through the teen years, is to set the young person up for success. For some this may be academically, with support into high school and university, and for others it may be completion of primary school and vocational training.

While we hope that you will be able to continue your support of your sponsored child until he or she completes the programme, we recognise that circumstances sometimes change. You may discontinue your child sponsorship at any time. Your child will remain in the sponsorship programme and continue to attend and we will seek to find another child sponsor.  

Please understand that a sponsored child's circumstances may change unexpectedly, too. For example, sometimes families move beyond the reach of our programme and children may no longer have the opportunity to attend a local project, or the family circumstances improve and sponsorship support is no longer needed. We will inform you as quickly as possible if any such circumstance affects the child you sponsor, and we'll offer you the opportunity to support another child in need of your help.

The variation in age when a child graduates can be dependent on the individual child (abilities and aspirations), the capacity and resourcing of the project that they attend (to continue to support through additional tertiary training or studies, or even providing vocational training themselves), and also the school system of the country they are in (some countries do not have the children starting school until 7 or 8 years old, and may require children to repeat grades before moving onto the next level).  

Sadly, turning 18 years of age does not mean that they have completed their schooling, or have even necessarily had a good chance to move through school grades at what we might consider a “normal’ pace. This is why each young person’s expected completion is managed on a case-by-case basis.

Our Child Sponsorship Programme offers you the opportunity to stay with a child for a number of years, usually through the school years until the child reaches the age of 18 to 22 (varies by country).  

The aim of sponsorship, especially through the teen years, is to set the young person up for success. For some this may be academically with support into high school and university, and for others it might be completion for primary school and vocational training.  

Every teenager registered in our programmes writes a plan for their future, including their likely date for graduation. You are welcome to write to your older sponsored child and ask about what is in their 'My Plan for Tomorrow'.

Compassion International's Child Sponsorship Programme works towards holistic development of children, so that when they graduate they:

•     Are healthy and able to make wise decisions about their health;
•     Are motivated with skills to be economically self-supporting;
•     Are able to interact with others in a healthy and compassionate manner; and
•     Have been given the opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel message