ChildFund has placed Richmond, Va. on the map. It’s all over it. The agency provides protection and development services for children in 30 countries. ChildFund’s 75-year history of work in Africa, Asia, Asia and Europe shows that it has made a significant impact on the lives of children in more than 100 countries.
The original idea was simple. It was to create a link between people who wish to give and those in need.
The organization was originally known as China’s Children Fund. It expanded its reach to other nations and became Christian Children’s Fund. For decades, it was advertised on television with a number that you could call to sponsor a child in poverty.
ChildFund InternationalThe individual sponsor-to child relationship is still maintained by, as the organization has come to be known. However, the organization’s focus has shifted to community development. Sponsor funds are pooled to improve the environment in the communities where sponsored kids live. ChildFund is able to grow its support from institutions and donors of all kinds.
ChildFund learned many things over the years about children.
Children require loving caregivers, safe and secure environments, and clean water and sanitation. Children cannot realize their potential if they lack any of these.
The most important years of a child’s life are his or her earliest. This sensitive period is crucial for the child’s development. Any disruptions can have lasting consequences.
The experience of poverty for children is different from that of adults. This experience changes as they go from childhood to adulthood, from infancy to childhood through adolescence to young adulthood. We know that every age has its unique gifts and children can offer them to their communities.
Locally owned change can be the most sustainable. Children thrive when their community members come together.
ChildFund has created a global network of relationships between children, sponsors and parents, teachers and community members.
ChildFund does not know how many children it has helped. Because so many of those who were helped went on to help others. Monica, a former sponsored child in Ecuador, has a degree as a financial analyst and manages the community’s credit union, helping many families.
These children were sponsored by wonderful people who went above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of others.
