GUARDIAN ALLIANCE – a group › or alliance › of people joined together with the same goal of protecting and defending › or guarding › children in need.
The reason we sponsor a ZOE child monthly is because we realize life is not about us, it’s about how we can help others! We taught our kids the same thing!
- Marshall and Stephanie Chabot
Child SponsorsKids Needing Sponsorship
As a Guardian Alliance Child Sponsor you will…
- Get to choose the age and gender of a child to sponsor
- Have the joy of supporting an individual child
- Receive a concealed identity photo* and a profile of your child upon sign-up
- Be able to send a letter of encouragement to your child’s ZOE family
- Not be able to correspond directly with your child via email or social media
- Receive two updates and updated concealed identity photo of your child annually*
- Have the opportunity to sponsor your child until they reach independence
When we discover something awful that goes on in our world and there is a solution to the problem, we should move to action and do something about it. I sponsor kids through ZOE because it’s a very powerful, but simple way I can help someone in need.
- Elaine Marumoto-Perez
Child SponsorsFrequently Asked Questions
Depending on the specific needs of each child, the cost to care does vary–– needs such as counseling, tutoring, training, etc can vary greatly. You may sponsor a child up to $250 per month, though our restoration programs often exceed this amount.
100% of it! ZOE’s administrative expenses are not taken from our child sponsorship program!
Depending on the specific needs of each child, the cost to care does vary–– needs such as counseling, tutoring, training, etc can vary greatly. You may sponsor a child up to $250 per month, though our restoration programs often exceed this amount.
Though we rescue children under the age of 18, ZOE operates a transitional program for children 18 years and over as they complete high school or university education, vocational training, or obtain a good job. Generally speaking, the support is continued until around age 22 but for some children, due to a traumatic late start in life, longer assistance is needed. We will always strive to bring our children to full independence before ending our programs!
You may continue your monthly sponsorship for as long as you like. We do ask that child sponsors commit to a minimum of a year for the sake of consistency and planning! However, there is no contract or required time period!
Our children come from a range of backgrounds! However, ZOE focuses primarily on fighting for those who have no one else to fight for them… This includes orphaned, those on the market to be sold, those subject to crimes or abuse, or even those trafficked as labor, sex, or beggar slaves.
As a sponsor, you stand with ZOE in the commitment to protect the dignity of your child. Together, we commit to never bring further shame or danger to our child by revealing their past. See our ZOE Child Protection Policy (PDF) for more information.
YES! You can write letters of encouragement to your child’s family. However, the letter must go through our US Office and our Children’s Home Director first! Our Child Protection Policy states: NO incoming or outgoing correspondence (email or letters) may be exchanged with ZOE children without authorization from the ZOE Children’s Homes Director. You will not be able to correspond directly with your child via email or social media. We do not tell the children whether they are sponsored or not to eliminate further rejection for any child who may not be sponsored.
There are many reasons we have decided NOT to let our children know who their sponsors are, including:
- Many of our children have already lost loved ones, we want to eliminate any pain that might be caused from losing a sponsor they have come to know and love should financial difficulties arise.
- Although you are an integral part of the child’s daily support, the child’s caregiver must be the one whom they rely on, in order to create stability and consistency in the lives of our children.
- The number of sponsors may vary from child to child.
- The security of the children.
Although ZOE will provide an update about the life of the child you support, ZOE does not ask the children to write to sponsors.
Being that all ZOE children live together, and in the case that some children may not receive gifts, we do not allow sponsors to send gifts to their child.
Our Child Protection Policy states: NO gifts or promise of gifts will be given to ZOE children without authorization from the ZOE Children’s Homes Director. Examples of gifts include, but are not limited to, money, cell phones, cell phone usage, candy, jewelry, personal items, or promise of any of the items listed.
YES! We would love for you to have opportunity to see how your child is being loved and cared for! However there are certain requirements and guidelines to do so! Please contact our US Office for more information and calendar openings.
Though we do allow visits, we do not allow private outings or one-on-one contact. You may meet the child, but the child will not know that you are their sponsor (see FAQ “Will my child know who I am?”).
We do our utmost to ensure that every cent of your monthly support is used with integrity. ZOE is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). As a full ECFA member, ZOE actively employs high standards and best practices to achieve financial integrity transparency such as:
- Effective financial controls and management
- Active governance of ZOE’s Board of Directors (majority of whom are independent)
- Annual financial audit by an independent auditor
- ECFA standards of fundraising which include full financial disclosure of expenses
ZOE fundraises separately for special projects, events, and other needs not covered by our Guardian Alliance program, including children who are not fully sponsored.
Due to our need to protect children from the shame of their past and retribution from their human traffickers, ZOE will only send photos where the child’s identity is concealed. See our ZOE Child Protection Policy (PDF) for more information.