Sponsor A Child:
Frequently Asked Questions
Concerning The Arms of
Love Sponsorship Program
About your sponsorship
Gifts and Correspondence
Financial Management and
Accountability
About Arms of Love International
About your sponsorship
What is an Arms of
Love sponsor?
The Arms of Love child
sponsorship program is very unique. Most sponsorship
programs provide "supplemental care" for children. To
qualify for such a program, the children must already have a
home and someone who cares for them, usually a parent.
Through the sponsorship program, the children may receive
needed assistance in the way of meals, clothing, or school
supplies. Other programs help improve living conditions
within an entire community, which benefits all of the
children living in that community. These kinds of programs
can be very valuable in assisting children-at-risk, but they
do not operate as the primary or exclusive source of the
children's support.
The child you sponsor through
Arms of Love is a child who is in our full time legal
custody, who lost his family through a combination of death,
abandonment, and abuse. Your sponsorship helps us provide
the house that your child is living in; the houseparents and
other staff who care for your child; three good, varied,
well-balanced meals every day; clothing; a good education,
usually at a private Christian school; vocational training;
medical and dental care; birthday parties; recreational
opportunities; and everything else your child needs to live
a well-rounded, fulfilling life.
The objective of this program
is to completely restore the lives of children who have been
orphaned, abandoned, and terribly abused. This is why we
call our projects "children's homes" and not "orphanages."
Arms of Love provides its children with basic necessities,
such as food, clothing and shelter, but this is only the
beginning. Changing the lives of these children means
providing a loving, family environment where the children
experience genuine love and significant relationships;
educational opportunities and vocational training that will
enable the children to become gainfully employed and pursue
their dreams; professional counseling and individualized
care that will help the children heal from their past
traumas; and recreational opportunities that will help
restore their childhood to them. But most of all, we believe
that only the love of Christ and His touch can forever heal
their wounds and restore their capacity to love again, to
trust again, and to have hope again for the future. Your
sponsorship provides the means by which we are able to
accomplish this incredible task.
Sponsorships also provide a
vehicle for facilitating relationships between sponsors and
their sponsored children. Through photos, correspondence and
updates, sponsors develop a personal connection with the
children they sponsor. The children also benefit from this
relationship, as they are encouraged to know that specific
individuals abroad care about them and are praying for them.
How is my
sponsorship money used?
Sponsorship donations are
applied toward the actual, comprehensive care of the
sponsored child: three good meals each day, medical and
dental care, education, vocational training, clothing,
recreation, field trips, birthday parties, staff salaries,
facility maintenance, and all other needs that may arise
which are necessary for the proper care of the children.
It is not practical or
feasible to track expenses separately for each individual
child. For example, the staff who work in each home care
equally for all 10 children living in that home. Groceries
purchased are used to prepare meals for all of the children
living in a home, just as with any other family. Therefore,
the full sponsorship amount for each child is determined by
dividing the actual monthly expenses of the home by the
number of children being cared for in that home. The
sponsorship donations we receive for the children living in
a particular home are pooled and forwarded to that home on a
monthly basis, to care for the needs of those children
during that period of time.
Am I the only
sponsor for my child?
Most one-on-one sponsorship
programs provide "supplemental care" for children living in
poverty. Some of these programs provide education, clothing
and medical care for children. Other programs sponsor
projects that benefit all of the children in a particular
community. For only $25 or $30 per month, such supplemental
care can make a significant difference in the lives of these
children. However, the children being sponsored already have
homes and families that are providing their basic care.
By contrast, Arms of Love has
full legal custody of each sponsored child and provides
comprehensive care for those children. Each sponsored child
is a child who would otherwise lack a home or a family to
care for him. Operating a full-time residential facility
that provides children with a high standard of custodial
care - based on a family model - is much more expensive than
providing supplemental care to children who already have
homes and families caring for them. Moreover, Arms of Love
provides a much higher standard of care for the children in
its children's homes than will be found in most orphanages.
On average, it costs us $210/month to care
for each child (depending on the country and other
variables).
For this reason, we have
designed our sponsorship program to facilitate both full
sponsorships (determined by the actual cost of care in the
given country) and partial sponsorships in any amount of the
donor's choosing. As a partial sponsor, you are not your
child's only sponsor. However, together with several other
sponsors, your sponsorship is providing your sponsored child
with literally everything that child has in life.
If I commit to a particular level of sponsorship, can I give
more some months?
Yes. If you give an amount
above your committed level of sponsorship, the additional
money will be designated for the same children's home that
your child lives in (unless you specify otherwise). Each
home routinely has expenses that are above and beyond what
is provided through the regular sponsorship program. For
example, there may be a need to build a water tank for the
home, to purchase books or computers for the children's
library, or to purchase new playground equipment for the
children. Your additional donations will help us cover these
additional expenses when they arise and will directly
benefit your sponsored child.
Do I have to give
monthly?
Sponsorship donations may be
given monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or annually.
How long does my
sponsorship last?
Each child in our sponsorship
program is in our full-time custody and care. Many of the
children will be living with us until they reach the legal
age in their country and/or complete their high school
education, in which case your sponsorship will be
discontinued when the child leaves our care and moves out on
his own.
Sometimes children leave our
care before they reach legal age or complete their
education. When this happens, it is usually the result of
one of the following situations:
- Children who have spent
time living on the streets, or who have lived in a very
unstructured environment, often have a very difficult time
adjusting to life in a structured home, abiding by house
rules, and attending a regular school. We do our best to
transition children into this new environment and to find
creative methods to meet their unique needs. Nevertheless,
children will some times run away and return to the
streets. This is a common occurrence in ministries such as
ours. In such cases, our staff tries to find the children
and persuade them to return, but are not always
successful. For this reason, we do not place children in
our sponsorship program until they have been living with
us for at least several months, to maximize the
probabilities that the child will be living with us
long-term. Nevertheless, there have been occasions where
children have left voluntarily at a later date.
- It is possible that, as a
result of medical or psychological issues, a child may be
diagnosed with a condition that can only be treated - or
can be better treated - at another facility. Although this
has not yet happened, we may encounter some such
situations in the future.
- In some instances, a
parent or a relative may seek to regain custody of a child
who was previously abused or abandoned, either by them or
another family member. Legally, Arms of Love has
indefinite, long-term custody of the child, but this does
not preclude the government from deciding to reunite the
child with his family at a later date if circumstances
permit. In each country, there is a process by which a
family member can petition the government to regain
custody, and it is ultimately the decision of the
responsible government agency to examine the circumstances
and determine whether to award custody to the parent or
other relative. For our part, we will act as the child's
advocate and seek to promote what is in the child's best
interest. In many cases, this means advocating for the
child's continued stay in the Arms of Love Children's
Home; but in other cases, particularly if the child is
older and wants to return home, it may be best to work
toward reintegrating the child with his family. Whenever a
child is reunited with his family, Arms of Love will do
its best to conduct follow-up visits following family
reunification to ensure that the child is being properly
cared for in his new environment.
If any of the above
situations arise, we will advise you of the situation and
then assign your sponsorship to a new child, unless you
request otherwise.
What happens if I need to discontinue my sponsorship?
We realize that your
circumstances may change and that you may no longer be able
to sponsor your child. If this happens, please let us know
that you will be discontinuing your sponsorship, as soon as
you can, so we can seek another sponsor for your child.
What countries currently have child sponsorships available?
Arms of Love currently
supports children's homes in Nicaragua, the Philippines,
Mexico and Senegal. However, we currently only have child
sponsorships available in Nicaragua, the Philippines and
Senegal.
Child sponsorships in other countries may be added in the
future as the programs in those countries grow and become
more established.
How are children selected for the sponsorship program?
The children that are
received into our children's homes are children who have
been separated from their parents due to death, abandonment,
or abuse, and who are either homeless or who are likely to
become homeless in the absence of our intervention. Each
project works with the appropriate government agency to
acquire legal custody of the children.
Children come to our
children's homes through a variety of means. In some
instances, the staff will identify homeless children during
outreaches in the community, build relationships with the
children, and investigate their background. In other cases,
a relative, a teacher, or a friend who knows of a child's
situation will come to us seeking assistance on behalf of
the child. The government agency that oversees child custody
issues will often refer children to us who need long-term
residential care. Regardless of the manner in which we first
learn of a child's situation, a thorough investigation of
the child's background is conducted to ensure that the child
satisfies the criteria of admission.
How will I be billed for my sponsorship commitment?
The easiest way to maintain
your sponsorship is to sign-up through our electronic giving
page. This allows your monthly sponsorship commitment to be
automatically deducted from your bank account or credit
card. However, Arms of Love will also send you a copy of its
regular newsletter and monthly giving statements, which
contain remit envelopes that can be used for mailing your
sponsorship donation.
Gifts and Correspondence
How do I
correspond with my child?
Arms of Love has prepared a
list of recommendations on how to write to your child. You
may write as often as you like. Depending on where your
child lives, please mail your correspondence to the
following address:
For Nicaragua:
Hogar de Niños Brazos de Amor
Attn: Emilio Padilla
Apartado Postal L V 2
Oficina de Correos Monseñor Lezcano
Managua, Nicaragua.
For the Philippines:
Arms of Love Philippines
P.O. Box 215
Tagbilaran City, Bohol
6300 Philippines
For Mexico:
Centro Victoria La Roca A. C.
Attn: Sue Leak
Apartado 822
Morelia, Michoacan
58000 Mexico
Correspondence can also be
mailed to the Arms of Love office in the United States, or
can be e-mailed to
armsoflove@armsoflove.org, and we will forward your
correspondence to the appropriate children's home
Please write your name and
return address on the outside of the envelope, but for
privacy purposes, please do not include your address or
phone number on the letter inside. When the correspondence
is received by the children's home, your letter will be
given to your sponsored child and will be translated if
necessary.
How often will
my child write to me?
The children at each
children's home will write letters to their sponsors at
least twice each year. The children's home will forward these
letters to the U.S. office of Arms of Love, and from there
they will be mailed to the children's sponsors. Local staff
in each country will provide translations of the
correspondence when needed.
As you receive correspondence
from your child over time, you will hear how your child is
doing, observe his progress, and become aware of his
particular needs or concerns. You may want to save your
child's letters so you can look back on them some day, and
observe your child's development over time.
Can I send
pictures to my child?
Yes. We strongly encourage
you to send pictures of your family. You may also send other
flat items, such as drawings or cards. However, please do
not send photos of your house, car, or other things that
would illustrate your standard of living here in the U.S.
Do I need to
correspond with my child?
No, it is not necessary for
you to write to your sponsored child. You may elect to
provide financial support only. However, the children do
enjoy receiving letters and pictures, so letter writing is
encouraged. Moreover, if you are fully sponsoring a child
and are therefore the child's only sponsor, we strongly
encourage you to write to the child, at least in response to
the letters you receive from your sponsored child.
Can I
send packages or gifts to my child?
Birthday and Christmas
presents are already included in the cost of sponsorship,
along with all of the other needs of your child.
We do not facilitate the
sending of gifts between sponsors and their children for
several reasons:
- By purchasing presents in
the host country, the local staff is able to provide the
children with material possessions that are appropriate to
the local culture and standard of living.
- Allowing the local staff
to control the disbursement of toys and other items
provides the staff with control of the children's
upbringing and the development of their value systems.
This approach also ensures that each child receives the
same number and type of gifts as the other children,
achieving consistency within the program. This
particularly important in our program where, as a result
of partial sponsorships, some children have more sponsors
than other children.
- Sometimes, receiving gifts
from abroad can undermine the structure of discipline and
positive reinforcement within the home. For example, the
children's home in Nicaragua once ran a contest to see if
the children could follow certain house rules for an
entire month. The first month the children were
successful, they would be rewarded with a new soccer ball.
A week later, visitors to the home gave the children a
soccer ball as a present - thereby undermining the system
of positive reinforcement that had been implemented by the
staff.
- Gifts can sometimes have
difficulties proceeding through customs, and oftentimes
result in significant taxes or duties having to be paid by
the children's home.
When will I receive updated pictures or information
concerning my child?
Each year we will send you a
new picture of your sponsored child and an update describing
how your child is doing.
Can I visit my child?
If you are ever visiting the
host country, we can arrange for you to visit with your
sponsored child. You may also be able to stay at the
children's home.
Financial Management and
Accountability
How does Arms of Love ensure that my sponsorship money is
spent properly?
Arms of Love is committed to
the highest level of financial integrity. In addition to
realizing that we are stewards of God's money, we are
constantly trying to stretch our limited resources to
accomplish as much as possible. We are therefore highly
motivated to ensure that each project is spending its
resources wisely and efficiently.
Arms of Love sets up an
accounting structure with each project. Operational support
is sent on a monthly basis, based upon budgets that are
jointly agreed upon by Arms of Love and the recipient
children's home. In each country, an independent accountant
is retained to keep financial records for the project and
ensure that all expenses are properly documented. Expense
reports and/or receipts are sent to Arms of Love on a
monthly basis. Any irregularity or problem that is
discovered is remedied immediately.
Arms of Love monitors the
operational progress of each project, as well as its
financial expenditures. Representatives of Arms of Love
visit the children's homes on a regular basis. Moreover,
short-term teams and other visitors and volunteers visit the
projects frequently and provide feedback on how each project
is doing. We have also implemented a structure by which
regular reports are provided to Arms of Love, by certain
responsible staff members, concerning the overall operation
of the project and the progress of each individual child.
What percentage of my donations is spent on administrative
and fundraising expenses?
Arms of Love relies primarily
on donated office space and volunteer staff in the U.S. and
the U.K. for its administrative and fundraising functions.
Accordingly, our administrative and fundraising expenditures
have only been between 5-10% of our total expenditures. Our
intent is to strive to maintain this percentage as the
ministry continues to grow, so that most of the funds we
receive can continue to be forwarded to the children's homes
that we sponsor.
About Arms of Love International
What makes the ministry of Arms of Love International
unique?
Many ministries focus on
providing children with supplemental care that will help
meet their basic needs. We believe that these programs can
be very effective in helping children at risk.
The focus of Arms of Love,
however, is on providing homes and families for children who
have neither - to care for orphaned, abandoned, and abused
children who would otherwise be homeless. By reaching these
children, Arms of Love is engaged in implementing the
Biblical mandate to care for orphans.
Moreover, Arms of Love does
not operate any projects independent of the local church.
Every staff member is a committed Christian, and every
children's home has a relationship with one or more churches
in its immediate community. We view each project as a
ministry of the local church to children at risk in its own
community. This is a critical part of our philosophy and
vision. Arms of Love views itself as a partner who comes
alongside the local church to empower it to accomplish that
which would not otherwise be possible.
Arms of Love is not merely a
humanitarian organization. While we do provide for the basic
material needs of our children, we also share the love of
Christ with our children by word and by deed. Each
children's home provides its children with a Christian
family environment in which to grow and mature. We take
seriously our responsibility to provide each child with the
opportunity to know God and to develop his relationship with
God as he grows older.
Arms of Love has also
developed a reputation with government officials in each
country as operating one of the best residential programs
for children-at-risk in each community. Our commitment to a
family-based model of care, a high staff-to-child ratio
(about 1:3), and the retention of dedicated, quality staff
results in an exceptional standard of care being provided
relative to other programs in the community.
Do you
facilitate foreign adoptions?
No. We believe that adoption
is an incredible gift, and there are many children living in
foreign orphanages who would benefit tremendously from
adoption. However, this is not our ministry's focus. The
focus of Arms of Love is on providing each child with a
family environment in which to grow and mature in his home
country. This is consistent with our overriding objective,
which is to support the local church and further its growth
in each country in which we work. Through education,
vocational training, loving care, and Christian
discipleship, our long-term objective is to re-integrate
each child into his community as a self-sufficient Christian
adult who will impact his country for Christ.
