Child Sponsorship — Humanitarian Aid Response Team

Sponsor With HART

Why is a Child Sponsor Program needed?

Ukraine and Moldova are the two poorest countries in Europe. Currently, Ukraine is fighting a war against Russia, and the Humanitarian Crisis it has caused is extraordinary. More children are living in poverty than ever before and need support through this Sponsorship program.

What does Sponsorship mean?

Child sponsorship means sending regular financial support to help a child and his/her family who are living in poverty. Our program is run through local HART church partners, and a Christian caseworker will be assigned to your child. Here is what your support will provide for your child in the program:

What will my child receive?

Your sponsorship of $45 per month will provide:

Nutrition: Monthly food packages are provided. Caregivers are taught how to make healthy nutrition choices for the child.

Health: Basic funding for medical support is provided to children in the program on an as-needed basis.

Faith: HART’s Child Sponsorship Program is operated in partnership with local churches.

Family Support: Family assistance and emergency aid are available on a case-by-case basis.

Education: Children receive annual school supplies. Later, they can apply to HART for a post-secondary scholarship.

Camps: They will have the opportunity to attend life-changing summer camps.

Protection: HART’s Child Sponsor Program protects children and helps prevent abuse.

Presents: A Birthday and Christmas present are given to your child from you.

How do I get started?

Choose a child to sponsor

What can I expect as a sponsor?

An amazing adventure that will change a child’s life – and it will change YOUR life, too!
A welcome package with photos and information on your sponsored child and his/her family.
Letters from your child, often with words of thanks from them and their parents or other family members.
The opportunity to correspond with your child and send presents if you choose to.
An annual photo and update on your child’s progress through school and life.

How to WRITE Your Sponsored Child

Why Donate to Child Sponsor GENERAL FUND

Frequently Asked Questions

Why sponsor a child?

Children growing up in poverty begin life with critical disadvantages and face unpredictable futures. However, working through local churches in Ukraine and Moldova, HART’s Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) helps children develop healthy minds, bodies, and relationships while discovering God’s love for them. Your monthly gift and a loving Christian caseworker’s influence can change the life trajectory of a child living in poverty in Eastern Europe.

Why sponsor a child in Ukraine?

The war in Ukraine has exacerbated Ukraine’s poverty crisis. The number of people living in poverty today has jumped significantly since the start of the war. Many have lost their homes, communities, jobs, and ability to look after their families. Many young mothers have lost their husbands to this terrible war and need assistance in looking after their children. This is where we in the West can enter this picture and bring help and hope to so many children in Ukraine.

At HART, we believe God has given the mission of releasing people from poverty to His Church. Our role in this mission is to partner with local churches and give them the ‘tools’ to accomplish this work.

One of the most effective and fruitful ‘tools’ is the Child Sponsor Program. We have had extraordinary success in transforming lives because this program runs exclusively through local churches, which understand and can respond to their communities’ challenges.

HART Child Sponsors from the USA and Canada have been transforming the lives of thousands of children and families for the past 20 years! Together, we are changing the world—one heart at a time!

How has the war impacted the Child Sponsor Program?

The Russian invasion has been devastating and tragic for Ukraine and its citizens. Food prices have skyrocketed, and unemployment is high. Therefore, the need for sponsors is greater than ever before.

We are trying to ensure that your monthly sponsorship fee will provide all the listed items for your child. However, as long as this war continues, our caseworkers have advised us that in lieu of Birthday and Christmas presents, it is more important to spend this money on food for the family.

Does sponsorship actually work?

Yes! Sponsorship provides for children both physically and spiritually. The children feel God’s love and know that someone outside of their family cares for them.
There have been many studies conducted recently on child sponsorship programs that have concluded that they have a positive impact on children’s lives. A report published by Christianity Today in June 0f 2013 concluded that:
Sponsored children are 27–40% more likely to complete secondary school;
Sponsored children are 50-80% more likely to complete a university education;
Sponsored children are 14-18% more likely to obtain a salaried job;
Sponsored children are 35% more likely to obtain a white collared job;
Sponsored children are more likely to grow up to be both community leaders & church leaders;
Poverty causes children to have very low self-esteem & low aspirations;
Sponsored children have expanded views about their own possibilities;
Sponsored children have higher expectations for their own schooling;
Sponsored children display significantly lower levels of hopelessness, higher levels of optimism and self-efficacy, and higher levels of overall happiness.
Source: Christianity Today Wydick, Bruce. “Want to Change the World? Sponsor a Child.”ChristianityToday.com. N.p., 14 June 2014. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.

How long is the commitment?

You may discontinue at any time, although we would encourage you to commit to this project for at least one year.

How does HART help children with an education?

HART has an Education Fund designed to assist Sponsored Children to receive post-secondary schooling or vocational training. In most cases, this entails a joint venture between the sponsor and HART. As sponsors develop a relationship with their child they may learn of a child’s desire to continue his/her education. In these cases, sponsors have the option to contribute toward the costs for the future education of their child. Please keep in mind this is not a mandatory part of our Sponsorship program. It is only for those that have the means and the desire to assist their child after they have “graduated” from this program.

Should I write letters to my sponsored child?

Yes. We encourage communication with your sponsored child. Receiving a letter or postcard from you is very special for your child. It is a reminder that you care about them and that they are important. As a sponsor, you can instill a sense of self-worth in your child through letters and cards.
It is also very important for the church and caseworker who work with your child and his or her family. Caseworkers continually remind us that parents seem to be more cooperative when sponsors are actively writing their sponsored children.
Here are 6 reasons why you SHOULD write your child:
– Letters are a reminder of how much you care!
– Regular communication creates trust and builds
– Corresponding helps you learn more about each other
– Your words can help instill confidence in your child
– Your can motivate your child to do his or her best
– Writing letters helps you pray intentionally
Options for writing to your sponsored child:
1. The best option is to go to HART’s Child Sponsor page and click on “Write Your Sponsored Child.” You can write your child directly, and even upload pictures you wish to share with him or her.
2. The second best option is to send an email to your child.
You can email your letter to cspletters@hart.ca.
Please ensure your child’s name and ID number are written clearly in the subject line. Digital photographs may also be attached to be shared with your sponsored child.
3. All physical mail, including handwritten letters or cards, should be sent to our Calgary office for translation and forwarding to your child.

Please address all letters to:
HART Office
Suite 106, 90 Freeport Blvd, NE
Calgary, AB T3J 5J9
Your child’s name and ID number are written clearly on the outside of the envelope.

Please note:
It may take several months for your hand-written letter to get to your child due to postal delays, caseworker availability, and the time needed for translation. Email letters will arrive slightly quicker as we don’t have the delays of the transatlantic postal service.
If you are writing to your child for their birthday or another event, please allow enough time for delivery. It may take several months to receive a response letter from your child, but we do our best to ensure quick and efficient delivery.

What should I write to my child?

Your letters show a child that someone loves and prays for them. We encourage all of our sponsors to send letters to their children – you have a bigger impact than you think.

Things to write about: Family – Work or School – Hobbies and Activities – Church – Something you’ve learned – Holidays and customs

Scroll up and click on “How to Write Your Sponsored Child” to find many creative ideas to assist you in writing to your child.

How are children selected for sponsorship?

HART’s sponsorship program is run in collaboration with local churches. The church decides who the caseworkers will be and it is usually someone with a heart and passion for children. The church decides where the greatest needs in their communities are and then selects children from the most vulnerable families. Participation in this program is voluntary, and sponsored children and their families make the decision to be a part of the program, and whether or not they wish to attend the church that is serving them. We always respect the rights of families to make decisions about this.

Will I always have the same child?

Usually, sponsors grow attached to their children and enjoy the relationship built over time. However, on occasion, there are circumstances in which the sponsorship could be discontinued.
1. For example: when the child ages-out of the program. This usually occurs between the ages of 16-18. The child may leave for college, vocational training, or a job opportunity, so the sponsorship would end at that point.
2. The child’s family may no longer need the support as they’ve become self-reliant and are managing on their own. This is a goal for all our children and their families. For a sponsor to assist a family through a difficult season in their lives, to a point when they are now self-sufficient – should be celebrated!)
3. The family moves out of their child sponsorship district and is no longer accessible to the caseworker. If they move to an area where we have another child sponsorship caseworker, the child will be transferred and your sponsorship continues.
If one of these situations happens, we will contact you with the details and include information, and give you the option to sponsor a new child if you so desire.

What percent of my money goes to overhead/administration costs?

HART is very intentional about financial transparency. Here is a breakdown of child sponsorship administration designations:
Overhead and Administration costs in North America = 0%
Salaries for caseworkers & translators in Ukraine = 11%
All other money goes directly into programs for assisting your sponsor child through food packages, birthday presents, summer camps and more.

Does Child Sponsorship Really Work?

Testimonies from….

Caseworkers

Child Sponsor Stories

Changed lives – Change lives!

Tetiana faced tremendous hardships after her alcoholic husband abandoned her and their three sons. Struggling to support her family, she resorted to working as a street sweeper, often bringing her youngest son in a stroller to work with her…

Two Generations in the CSP program.

Child sponsor program blesses child with a sponsor and then blesses her a second time when she needed a sponsor for her own child.

Child Sponsor reconnected with her child 9 years after he graduated from the program.

Dmytro, now a soldier stationed at the frontlines of the war in Ukraine, expressing gratitude to HART and his sponsor, Jody, for the profound impact they had on his life.

Sponsor from Canada visits her sponsored child in rural Ukraine.

The sponsor was overwhelmed by the heartfelt gratitude expressed by the grandmother, who is the primary caregivers for Dmytro, who suffers from a life-long disability.