ORPHAN CARE SPONSORSHIP Q & A

What does my $40/month cover?
Your $40.00 a month will help cover expenses such as the foster family’s salary, the child’s food, clothes and basic care.

How long will my sponsorship commitment be?
We prefer a minimum one-year commitment.

If I decided to be a sponsor, will I be matched with a child for sponsorship right away?
Most likely yes. Sometimes we might have to place you on a short waiting list and match you with a child as soon as she or he is available. The wait should be no longer than one month. Of course, you can choose to withhold your financial contribution until a child is identified and matched for you.

Can I specify a child’s gender?
Yes you can, although the majority of children needing sponsorship nowadays are boys. We really appreciate your flexibility.

What will happen if the child I have sponsored is adopted by an adoptive family?
Should this happen, we will rematch another child to you. (Of course, we would love to see that happen! A permanent home is much better than a foster home.) In case of other unforeseeable situations that render the child un-sponsorable, we will rematch another child to you.

Can I adopt the child I have been sponsoring?
Unfortunately, no. The Chinese government strongly discourages pre-identified adoption. Our service contracts with the local orphanages state that our sponsorship is not for our own adoption.

It is possible that your foster child may end up on our ‘Waiting Child’ list. For more information on adopting through our Waiting Child Program, please contact our Waiting Child Department at waitingchild@chinesechildren.org.

Can I sponsor more than one child?
Of course - the more the better.

What are the ages and physical conditions of the children who are waiting to be sponsored?
These children range from a few months to fourteen years old. All the children waiting for sponsors are children with special needs.

Can I decide what kind of child I want to sponsor?
We will try to honor your request as much as we can. However, since this is not an adoption program, we believe that we should treat all children equally when making a sponsorship match.

Is my sponsorship contribution tax deductible?
Yes, CCAI is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

What are some of the payment methods available?
You can pay monthly or annually by check (to CCAI) or credit card (www.chinesechildren.org). We will mail you a receipt for tax purposes to you every time we receive your payment.

Can I give a one-time monetary gift to help with the operation cost of running this program?
That would be very much appreciated.

What will happen if, for any reason, I can not continue my sponsorship during my committed period?
Please inform us as soon as possible so we can find another sponsor for your sponsored child.

How often should I expect to receive my sponsored child’s photo and report?
Once a quarter by accessing our sponsor-only website to view and retrieve your sponsored child’s quarterly update and photo. When we upload the reports, we will send you a little with your user name and password

Can I contact the adoptive family if my sponsored child is adopted?
For confidentiality reasons, we will inform the adoptive family first that their adopted child has been sponsored by an American sponsor. We will let the family decide if they want to contact the sponsor or not. If they want to, we then will contact you for your permission before we release any of your information.

Can several families, friends, co-workers, classmates, my church, my school, or my company co-sponsor one or several children?
Of course. You just need to identify one contact person so we can email/mail the sponsored child or children’s photos to that particular person for group distribution.

Can I send Christmas or birthday gift or just a gift package to my sponsored child?
Yes. For material gifts, we can provide you with a mailing label in both English and Chinese. All gifts that are sent through customs must be ‘new’ items.

Can I post my sponsored child’s photo and information on internet, adoption chat groups or share them on other publications or media?
Absolutely not. The Chinese government forbids this practice. It may jeopardize CCAI ’s working relationship with the orphanages and hurt our foster care program. Your understanding is very much appreciated.

What provinces are the children from?
Most of the children waiting for sponsors are from Henan Province and they are special needs kids

What is my next step to sponsor a child?
If you would like to send a check, please send it to CCAI – 6920 South Holly Circle – Centennial , CO 80112 . Please earmark your check ‘orphan care sponsorship’.

If you would like to use your credit card, please submit payment on our web site www.chinesechildren.org. Click on ‘Charity Funds’ and ‘Make a Donation’ and be sure to check the ‘Orphan Care Sponsorship’ box.