Every non-profit organization has a principal goal for all of the sponsorship programs they undertake. Child welfare organizations focus on the core developmental stages and needs of children.

Early Child Development programs are aimed at helping children up to the age of 8 with nutrition and basic education. They are also directed towards providing a positive and strong foundation for their youth and adult lives. Since a large amount of the human brain is defined in the early years of life, efforts are focused on keeping children happy and ensuring that they experience a healthy childhood, even in the face of adversity. Through such programs, children gain access to high quality group learning opportunities, wherein their physical, emotional, social and cognitive needs are met.

Education is a doorway to success and opens a world teeming with possibilities for children. Child sponsorship programs give children an opportunity to learn. They are supplied with new clothing, shoes and school uniforms. Children gain access to libraries with reference materials, study aids, textbooks and computers. Sponsorships help renovate or expand schools and also provide teaching materials.

Children face many dangers in poor communities. Poor sanitation and contaminated water expose them to parasites, leading to potentially deadly diseases. Pollution and congestion contribute to the spread of respiratory illnesses, skin infections and stomach ailments. Sponsorships help provide medical aid to children afflicted by disease. Routine checkups, medications, dental treatment and malnutrition screenings and treatments are made possible.

Nutrition is a building block for a child’s development and future life. Many children around the world don't get enough to eat and often eat food deficient of essential nutrients, leading to malnutrition. Through sponsorships, children are provided with vitamins and placed in a feeding program. Parents are educated and assisted with meal preparation training and are informed about purchasing inexpensive, nutritionally complete foods.

HIV/AIDS is a rapidly growing problem and children are in great danger of either losing a parent to HIV/AIDS or being afflicted themselves. Sponsorship programs help communities mobilize their response to the disease, through raising awareness of the disease among those at risk of infection. This helps in reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. The programs offer care and support for persons both infected and affected.

Sponsorship helps families that are struggling to meet basic needs. Helping a child also means helping their families. Families are provided with bedding, dishes and cleaning supplies. Emergency aid kits in the event of natural disasters are also provided. By creating a support system, sponsorships lend a new meaning to a child’s life.