Frequently Asked Questions
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The work of Child of Mine is made possible through the generous support of numerous organizations, individuals, and families across Canada. We currently have 228 monthly financial partners and many additional one-time donors. We are deeply grateful for your partnership!
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We provide financial support for two Children’s Homes in Northern India. We build and maintain our relationship with the homes through regular contact and by sending teams from Canada to the homes each year.
The homes use the funds for food, clothing, education, facility maintenance and construction, as well as staff salaries and development.
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Children at the homes are typically from destitute backgrounds or from families that cannot financially support them. The atmosphere at each home is very much one of a large, loving and caring family, with the older children regarding the younger ones as siblings. And so, while the homes typically have close to two hundred children (ages 6+) in their care, many of the alumni still call these unique communities their family and remain closely connected
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Once children graduate from high school, Child of Mine continues to financially support them until they have completed their highest level of post-secondary education. Among the many graduates of the homes are teachers, nurses, chartered accountants, architects, and more.
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Great question! Child of Mine has a unique partnership model that invites monthly financial partners to come alongside our mission in an all-inclusive manner rather than directing individual financial support to a specific child or staff at one of the children's homes in India.
We are committed to supporting all children at the homes from the day they arrive (as young as six years old) until the day they complete their post-secondary education. We are also committed to supporting the amazing staff at the homes who invest their lives into raising these vulnerable children in safe and loving homes. This means that as new children arrive at the homes, we increase our financial support to the homes and seek additional support from current and new doners.
At present, we have approximately 250 monthly financial partners (individuals, families, or organizations) who support nearly 200 children and 50 staff in India. We also receive donations from churches and a significant number of one-time annual donations. Donations are funneled through a 'general operations' account at COM, then distributed to the homes for food, shelter, utilities, clothing, education, staffing, transportation, special projects, etc; and also used for operational expenses in Canada.
We use this holistic model of supporting the homes rather than pairing partners with individual children or staff for a number of reasons.
• First, because the cost of raising a child increases drastically between kindergarten and university, this support model ensures that every child has sufficient support at every stage.
• Second, children are regularly being brought to the homes by the Child Welfare Committee of India or by relatives who are no longer able to care for them. This support model allows COM to start funding new children immediately and ensures that no child is left waiting for a sponsor or without support if a sponsor leaves.
• Third, COM also supports staff! Between the two homes in India, there are just over 50 committed staff who are dorm parents, teachers, cooks, administrators, campus watchmen, etc. Additionally, COM has 4 staff/contractors in Canada.
• Lastly, this support model allows for flexibility with financial donations from partners. While the average monthly donation to COM is just over $65/month, donations range from $15-$1,000/month. Thank you! -
While financial donations to Child of Mine are not allocated to the support of a specific child or staff in India, the one-on-one connection between partners in Canada and those at the children's homes in India happens by becoming a prayer partner!
We love the opportunity to pray for one another as we share life from afar. With this in mind, Child of Mine pairs each Canadian prayer partner with a prayer child, staff, or post-secondary student from one of the children's homes in India. Partners are sent a profile card of their prayer partner in India and are encouraged to hang this card somewhere in their home as a reminder to pray for them regularly.
Connecting with your prayer partner in India is easy! If you would like to write a birthday card or note of encouragement, you can email a copy of it to us at info@childofmine.ca. We will forward your email to the homes and allow your prayer partner a chance to reply when they have an opportunity to do so. Your faithful prayers provide such strength and encouragement. Thank you!
If you are already a COM monthly financial partner but have not received a prayer partner profile card, or if you would like to start praying for a child, staff, or student from the children's homes, please click here to sign up today!
You can expect to receive your prayer partner profile card in the mail very soon.
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer" Romans 12:12
Wondering about something not answered here? Feel free to email us at info@childofmine.ca
Learn more about COM finances and stories through our Impact Reports