Our Frequently Asked Questions For Sponsors answers the most common questions asked by Child Sponsors. If you are not already a Child Sponsor and would like learn more about child sponsorship, visit our Sponsor a Child section.

As a child sponsor, what will I receive from World Vision?
You’ll get a welcome package and a letter of introduction from your sponsored child or from World Vision staff working in the child’s community. Each year, you’ll also receive your sponsored child’s updated photo and progress report, and we’ll let you know the good news happening in his or her community too.

Can I visit my sponsored child?
A visit to your sponsored child is a rewarding way to really see how your generosity is making a difference. There are some things that need to happen on our end, though, so just contact us on 1-866-595-5550 at least three months before you’re leaving. Click here for more details.

Can I send a gift to my sponsored child?
Sure, but please limit it to simple gifts tucked into your letters and cards. Flat items such as photos, bookmarks, stamps or stickers (in an envelope no bigger than 6 x 9) are ideal. Please don’t send parcels or cash. Your sponsored child’s photo frame — which you’ll receive in the welcome kit — gives all the address details. Also, you can send gifts to your sponsored child's community through the World Vision Gift Catalogue. Click here to browse through it.

How long will I sponsor my child?
We work in a community until it becomes self-sufficient, which usually takes from 10 to 15 years. You can sponsor the same child for as long as the project continues. When a project comes to an end, you’ll be invited to help transform another child’s life.

Should I write to my sponsored child?
Absolutely! Children love to hear from their sponsors and often treasure the letters and photos they get. Please be patient, though. Although your letters may reach your sponsored child within a few weeks, it can take quite a bit longer — up to six months, in some cases — for mail to reach some remote communities.

All correspondence must include:

• World Vision’s national office address (exactly as it appears on the picture folder you received for your sponsored child) on the front of the envelope.
• Your sponsored child’s name and child ID on the back flap of your envelope and on the top of your letter.
• Please do not write your address inside the letter.

Can I adopt or bring a sponsored child to Canada?
No. World Vision does not organize adoption or bringing children to Canada for visits. Your help to improve their quality of life and self-reliance in their own countries and cultures has deeper value than moving them to a foreign country.

Can I get an official tax receipt for donation?
Yes. World Vision issues a cumulative tax receipt for all of your monthly child sponsorship payments and other donations yearly. Receipts are typically sent out in late January or early February.

What if I cannot make my child sponsorship payments?
Should you be unable to make regular child sponsorship payments, please contact World Vision as soon as possible to explore the range of options available.

How do I update my contact or payment information?
If you need to report a change of address, phone number  or payment information, you can call a World Vision representative at 1-866-595-5550 or click here to visit the World Vision Customer Service page.

Still have a question? Please call a World Vision representative at 1-866-595-5550 or click here to contact us.

World Vision is a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families, and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. As followers of Jesus, we are motivated by God's love to serve all people regardless of race, religion, gender or ethnicity.