Forums / Q and A with Children International / Comprehensive list of CI resources?

Comprehensive list of CI resources?

5 posts
Missing user
April 22, 2014

Hi there!

 In browsing the message board and story center I'm seeing resources CI offers upon request mentioned that I haven't seen anywhere else.  These include things like education reports, sibling sponsorship requests, family status updates, requests on family needs (construction, education, etc) and associated costs, and more.  Is there a comprehensive list online anywhere of the resources available to sponsors for inquiries?  I'd love to know more, and as a n00b to the site I'm wondering if I'm missing a valuable site page that isn't showing up in my searches.  I'm also wondering if some of these inquiry options may be automated through buttons on the sponsored children pages in our "my account" area in future updates to allow for easier request tracking by both sponsors and CI staff.  

Thanks so much, and mega kudos to CI for offering such varied methods of help to sponsors and families!  The website layout, sponsorship search options, rave reviews of CI staff, and back end resources were a big part of my choosing to go with CI for sponsoring.  I figure that if they're doing such a wonderful job on the front end in trying to help sponsors find and keep in touch with their kids and families, they must be focused on doing a better and better job of helping children on the back end too.  I've repeatedly been impressed by the responses I've seen on threads here and the level folks will go to find requested information.  :)

debbies
April 22, 2014 in reply to Missing user

Great question! We do not have anything that is automated to request additional information about your child. For any additional information you want or questions you have your child and their needs, simply contact our Sponsor Services Dept. A great deal of the information you may want we have in our files here in Kansas City. 

If we do not have the info, we are happy to send an inquiry to the child's project office.  I also encourage you to visit our FAQ section on this site and click on the "Sponsorship" tab.  There is a glossary that will give you a heads-up on the abbreviations sponsors have created for CI's terms and a great deal of info on additional ways you can help your child.  Welcome to My Social Center and CI! 

Missing user
April 22, 2014 in reply to debbies
Ah-ha!  I missed the "About Sponsorship" tab on my first run through of the FAQ.  Thanks very much Debbie, that was very helpful!
debbies
April 23, 2014 in reply to Missing user

You are welcome!  We are going to add more info as learn more of what sponsors want to see :-)

Missing user
April 25, 2014 in reply to debbies

I wrote to CI through their form requesting an educational report and asking about the family's needs that I might be able to help with.  I received an awesome response with lots of details including the best time to ask for an educational report.  Overall the writer asked (very kindly) for me to hold on making a request until I'd been with CI for three months.  Totally understandable - I'm sure a lot of sponsors must drop off after a month or two, which means that whoever is working with the family out in the field may be impacted with a request for no reason.

I do have a suggestion for the FAQ.  As an "eager beaver, ahead of herself!" sponsor who likes to do her research, it would be helpful if there was an addendum in the FAQ at the end of items mentioned like Educational reports.  This could look something like, "Educational reports are available to sponsors who have been with their sponsored child for three months or more."  That would give new sponsors like myself a timeline that we can go by from the start and get excited about.  Two more months can't go by fast enough!  ;)

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