See how Save the Children's U.S. Sponsorship programs are giving the children of Cocke County, Tennessee hope for a brighter future.
Sponsor a Child in the US to Give Children a Future
If you really look, you can see the future in every child. But for the 1 out of 5 American children living in poverty, that future may seem bleak. With little access to educational opportunities, all that many of these children have is hope. When you sponsor a child in the US, you can help them realize their dreams – transforming a life and the future we all share.
Since the height of the Great Depression in 1938, Save the Children has been committed to helping improve the lives of America’s most vulnerable children by working with local communities and organizations in the United States. Through our U.S. Sponsorship program we work to give low-income children a ladder out of poverty, providing girls and boys with the opportunity to learn, protection from harm and a healthy start in life.
Sponsor a Child in the US to Help Kids Beat the Odds
Children living in poverty are:
- 70% more likely to be arrested for a violent crime
- 40% more likely to become a teen parent
- 25% more likely to drop out of school
- 60% more likely to never attend college
Be a Hero in the Life of a Child
For about a $1 a day, you can sponsor a child the United States – and help reverse the cycle of poverty. Your critical support will provide programs like:
- Early Steps to School Success: In the United States, we are working closely with parents to help young children prepare for kindergarten and beyond. Children in poverty are less likely to attend preschool and often live in households where early learning activities are few and far between. By age 3, a child in a poor family will have heard 30 million fewer words in their home environment than a child from a middle-class family will. This means 16 million children in the United States aren’t prepared to start school and are already developmentally behind their peers by up to 18 months. If young children don’t learn their ABCs when they are little, they may always struggle to read at grade level. Our early education program is laying a critical foundation of language and literacy skills for children from birth to age 5.
- Literacy: Did you know that only about 1-out-of-3 4th graders in the United States is proficient in reading? If children can’t read at grade level by fourth grade, they’re unlikely to ever catch up. At Save the Children we strive to transform disadvantaged students into lifelong learners. Our literacy program and expanded curriculum in science and math help children from kindergarten through sixth grade stay on track developmentally and grow as readers and learners.
- Healthy Choices: When children live in poverty, eating healthy often isn’t an option, with struggling families having to make the choice between putting cheaper, unhealthy food on the table or no food at all. As a result, more than half of children living below the poverty line in rural America are overweight or obese. Every child deserves a healthy start, and our nutrition program introduces children to healthier ways of living through activity, nutrition lessons and balanced food choices so they can be healthy and active in both learning and life.
Gaining Self-Confidence Through Sponsorship
"I want to be a great reader, just like my teacher!” Michael says. “I feel happy. I feel like I am important."
Statistically speaking, small-town Kentucky is one of the poorest regions in the United States. Most communities have limited access to educational support, healthy food or extra-curricular activities. Many families don't have the means to adequately support their child's education and development. Michael, a sweet-but-shy 6 year old, is no exception.
Often withdrawn in class, Michael always required extra prompting to participate in lessons. He usually felt sad and lonely and had little self-confidence, refusing to try new or challenging tasks, assuming he would not be able to do them. All of that changed when Michael began participating in Save the Children’s Child Sponsorship program.
After just one year of participating in literacy programs, Michael has grown his vocabulary and writing skills and has transformed into a confident and independent boy. He spends his free time at home reading.
Along with participating in literacy programs, Michael enjoys writing to his sponsor. Their letter writing has helped transform him from a timid child to a model student who is often the first one to volunteer an answer. When asked what his sponsor writes to him to make him feel special, Michael says without hesitation, "I am loved."
Where Sponsorship Works in the U.S.
Save the Children's U.S Sponsorship programs work primarily in the southeast United States.
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