Why Should I Write?
Writing your sponsored child is incredibly rewarding. And for your sponsored child, a letter from Canada is a huge thrill, proudly shared with family and friends.

By sharing part of your life through a letter, you give your sponsored child the opportunity to write back and share about themselves. It’s a connection you and your sponsored child will find fascinating and extremely fulfilling.

Letters and photos from Canadian sponsors often become the most treasured of a sponsored child’s few possessions. Most importantly, your letters let your child know that someone in Canada really cares about them.

Writing is Simple
Writing a letter to your sponsored child is as easy as writing a thank-you note. All you have to do is jot down a simple greeting and a few sentences about yourself and your family. If you have kids, you can ask them to create their own note or picture.

Need some help getting your letter started? Check out these ideas.

Including Photos and Gifts
Feel free to include a few photos or write your note on a postcard (you’ll still have to put in an envelope). You can even include pencils, a few sheets of stickers, hair ribbons, a Canadian flag or some finger puppets.

Letters are mechanically sorted as they make their way around the world, so bulky items can cause your letter and gifts to be delayed, ripped or damaged. Due to differing weight limits around the world, heavy items can incur fees or get held at the border. Make sure everything you send packs flat, is relatively light and fits in a 6x9 envelope.

Addressing Your Letter
Since many World Vision projects exist in communities without regular mail service, you will need to send your letter to the main World Vision office in the country in which your child lives. Here’s a list of World Vision offices around the world. Please also write your sponsored child’s Child ID number and his or her name on the back of the envelope.

For postal rates, refer to Canada Post’s international rates list.

You will also need to add your sponsored child’s name and Child ID number to your letter. You can find this information in the picture folder you received when you sponsored your child. If you cannot locate this information, our Customer Service team will be happy to help.

For privacy and child-protection reasons, we ask that you don’t put your return address, email address or phone number on any material inside the envelope you send.

Delivery and Hearing Back
Once your letter arrives in the country where your sponsored child lives, World Vision staff will review, log and have your letter translated before delivering it to your child. Delivery is often complicated by the fact that there is no postal service.

A few weeks after dropping off your letter, the process is reversed as a staff member returns to pick up a letter for you from your sponsored child, log it and mail it back to you. Due to this complexity, the whole process can take as long as six months.

Click here for answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about child sponsorship.