Find My Child

FAQ

How can I be sure that my gift is actually benefiting my child?

Although you are sponsoring a child that you “adopt,” your monthly gift actually benefits an entire home, so that in each home, sponsored children are not given preferential treatment over unsponsored children. Our prayerful goal is to find sponsors for every child at every home that we assist (and we hope that you might even help us find sponsors by sharing about your child with others). In any case, your monthly gift directly benefits your child and other children in the same home.

Orphan’s Tear uses none of the contributions received for fund raising or administrative purposes. 100% of everything we receive from you directly benefits the children. General gifts to our parent ministry, Heaven's Family, provide the administrative costs of Orphan's Tear .

Orphan’s Tear  works with orphanage directors whom we personally know. Every home we assist is required to have a board of trustees consisting of respected Christian leaders within the community who are not the director’s family members or orphanage employees.

Orphan’s Tear  is also overseen by a similar board of trustees. Our accounts and charity information can be viewed online on the Charity Commission website. We are committed to financial integrity.

Are my contributions tax-deductible?

If you are a UK taxpayer, the value of your gift can be increased by almost a third under the Gift Aid scheme at no extra cost to you. Orphan’s Tear  is an outreach ministry of Heaven's Family (UK), a registered charity, No. 1119616. We are also hoping to obtain tax-exempt charity status in other countries where our sponsors live. If you would like to help us in that regard, please contact us.

Can I write a monthly cheque instead of having the money automatically withdrawn from my bank account or credit card?

Yes you may. We would prefer, however, if you set up a monthly standing order from your bank account or monthly payment with a credit/debit card via PayPal, because that reduces our administration expenses. Plus, you never have to remember to write a cheque, and you never have to use a stamp! A standing order is completely safe and secure, and millions of such transactions take place every day.

Can I write a cheque for an entire year of sponsorship?

Yes. You can contribute monthly, quarterly, yearly, or whatever way is best for you. We would prefer, however, if you set up an annual standing order from your bank account or annual payment with a credit/debit card via PayPal, because that reduces our administration expenses. 

Can I make a “one-time” contribution?

Yes! Practically every home with which we work has need for capital improvements, water wells, toilet and kitchen facilities and so on. Your single contribution to the Orphan's Tear "Special Gifts Fund" can have a lasting impact on the quality of life for many orphans.

Can these children be fostered or adopted? Wouldn’t that be a better way to help them?

There is no doubt that fostering or adoption would be a better way to help these children. International adoption is possible in many countries, but in Myanmar and Tanzania, for example, and many others like them, it is not permitted. It has not been possible for the children we are helping in Myanmar to be formally adopted by anyone in their own country, which is the best option in our opinion, not least because of the lack of any social welfare systems. The other main issue is money. Most of the people earn less than $2 per day, and that is often a factor as to why children are often abandoned into orphanages, so the chances of adopting or even fostering another child are extremely low. So far, the best way we have been able to help these children is by monthly sponsorship of those that are currently living in orphanages. To address these issues however, this November we invited all the orphanage directors to a Fostering and Adoption conference in two areas of Myanmar (where the vast majority of our orphanages are), to look at what is best for the children, and obviously that 'best' is a child living in a family. We intend to cap the amount of support that we send to our homes, with the aim of empowering suitable families to foster or adopt children. We realise that is a simplistic statement but space does not allow elaboration here, there will be further explanation in due course. Due to the fact that we are unable to work with the government of this country, if this is going to happen, it will be our existing trusted orphanage directors and pastors that will make it happen. It will be a long process, but we are committed to doing whatever is necessary for the well-being of the children.

Can I correspond with my child?

Administrating a correspondence program adds considerable expense to child sponsorship programs, such as international postage and the employment of translators. We want to keep our sponsorship costs as low as possible. Additionally, children whose sponsors don’t write as frequently as other children’s sponsors can be wrongly led to believe that they are less loved. Sponsors are often burdened with enough neglected responsibilities that they don’t need even more nagging guilt regarding neglected correspondence with their child. Finally, because some sponsors adopt numerous children, for them, correspondence with them all would be impossible. Although it is not possible to correspond with your child, it is sometimes possible to visit your child at his or her orphanage in a group tour. (For information, please contact us.)

Can £15 a month really provide what an orphan needs?

In most developing countries yes. People in Myanmar (and many other developing countries) often live on one or two dollars per day, so a child can be sustained for two-thirds of that. 

Keep in mind that all of the orphanages that are assisted by Orphan’s Tear  were already in operation when we began our partnership. All of them were already receiving limited assistance from Christians or churches in their own countries, but they were struggling. With your help, we are able to significantly improve the quality of the lives of the children. That extra help is a real blessing.

We think it is a good idea to help existing orphanages with supplemental support that already have indigenous support. That way we aren’t robbing indigenous Christians of the blessing of obeying the Lord’s commandments to care for orphans, nor are we creating a market for orphans or promoting unhealthy dependencies.

Having said that we do see a growth of orphanage ministries in Myanmar, that is why we are addressing the issue of orphaned and abandoned chidden and what is best for them, as outlined previously. We are glad to provide a means whereby any Christian in the world can find the joy of obeying God’s commandment to care for orphans.

Why do some of the Myanmar orphans have yellow paste on their faces?

Burmese mothers have long used sandalwood paste as a sunscreen on their children’s cheeks and noses. This practice has evolved into creative form of face-painting, and on older girls, as a cosmetic means to enhance attractiveness. Interestingly, most tan-skinned Asian people think that white skin is the most beautiful! They certainly don’t want their skin to darken from exposure to the sun!

OrphansTear