FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is ChildFund?
ChildFund Alliance is a worldwide membership organization of child sponsorship agencies that implement long-lasting and meaningful changes in the lives of impoverished children and families.

Who are the members of ChildFund?
The members of ChildFund Alliance, listed alphabetically, are:

• Barnfonden (Sweden)
• BORNEfonden (Denmark)
• ChildFund Australia
• ChildFund Deutschland (Germany)
• ChildFund New Zealand
• ChildFund Japan 
• ChildFund International (USA)
• Christian Children’s Fund of Canada
• ChildFund Ireland
• ChildFund Korea
• Taiwan Fund for Children and Families
• Un Enfant Par La Main (France)

What is ChildFund’s mission?
ChildFund’s primary role is to establish global standards that ensure members are accountable to the highest level of quality and integrity programming, finance, fundraising and governance.

What types of help do ChildFund member organizations provide for children?
Each member organization has experience promoting child sponsorship as a comprehensive and meaningful approach to child development. ChildFund Alliance members create sustainable child-focused, community-based development programs in areas where children are impacted by war, natural disaster, poverty and global health issues such as HIV/AIDS.

Programs include:

• Education:
  Arming children with literacy creates choices and opportunities, and helps break the cycle of poverty. ChildFund members work with communities and local governments to ensure adequate classroom space, well-trained teachers, non-traditional education for children who must work, programs for girls who are unschooled or at risk of dropping out, peace schools in countries plagued by war and skills training for young adults.
• Health initiatives:
  ChildFund members save lives by increasing access to safe, clean water and education on preventing and living with major health threats, including HIV/AIDS. ChildFund members are actively involved in providing life-saving immunizations, malaria prevention, mother-child health programs, infant mortality prevention, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, emergency medical assessments and interventions, along with community care programs and others.
• Nutrition:
  10 million children die each year in the developing world, which can be prevented with access to early childhood development education, good nutrition, and medical treatment. Malnutrition often stems from a lack of knowledge, not a lack of food. Therefore, member agencies implement nutrition education programs and monitor the growth and development of children worldwide, while also supporting supplemental feeding programs and addressing food security issues at the community level through animal farming and increased agricultural production.
• Micro-enterprise and economic development:
  Job training and income-generation skills create a dynamic, self-sufficient workforce with economic and social prosperity. ChildFund programs help families become self-sufficient by supporting small business development with micro loans, business training, and vocational skill development.
• Emergency response and psychosocial interventions:
  Children are dramatically affected by war, famine, and natural disasters. ChildFund Alliance members mobilize child-focused education, health services, psychosocial interventions, and other activities to heal the physical and psychological wounds of children in emergency situations, and give children the chance to laugh, learn, play and grow into well-rounded adults.

Where does ChildFund work to provide assistance for needy children and families?
ChildFund members provide assistance to more than 15 million impoverished children and families in 56 countries. See member websites for specific project locations and descriptions.

How can I find more information?
For more information, please contact us with any questions you have about ChildFund Alliance. You may also wish to review the websites of our member organizations, which are linked from our Membership page.