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What is an SOS Village?

An SOS Village gives children a safe home—because children deserve to grow up with the love of a family, not in an institution. 

Give the gift of home today

Homes, not orphanages: How an SOS Village works

Family: The heart of an SOS Village

An SOS Village isn't a single large facility where children are raised as anonymous numbers—it's a cluster of individual family houses (usually 10-15), set within a real community. 

Instead of the cold, clinical approach of institutional care, where child-to-caregiver ratios can climb as high as 31:1, each SOS house is home to a small, close-knit family, consisting of:  

—An SOS Parent: Each home in an SOS Village is led by a loving, dedicated and trauma-informed trained caregiver. SOS Parents ensure children grow up with healthy food, professional healthcare, quality education and love, which research shows is critical to a child’s long-term health and success. 

—Biological siblings: In many orphanages, institutions or foster homes, siblings are separated the moment they arrive, compounding a child’s trauma by removing them from the only family they have left. But, in an SOS Village, siblings grow up in the same home, where they can rely on each other for support.  

Keep siblings together

Explore an SOS Village

Click on the homes, buildings and community spaces below to learn how villages help children grow up safe, loved and with everything they need to thrive!
Illustration of the SOS Children's Village
 

 

 

A healthy childhood: Growing up with a sense of belonging 

In addition to homes, SOS Villages are equipped with schools, healthcare offices and community centers.  

Meaning: children grow up with an education, healthcare and the everyday rhythms of community life—things every child needs to grow, learn and reach their full potential.  

Many children arrive at an SOS Village after experiencing devastating trauma—losing a parent, being neglected, witnessing or experiencing terrible violence from armed conflict. Without a trusted, loving adult to help a child heal, the effects of trauma can last well into adulthood. 

Growing up in a large institutional setting, where caregivers rotate and attachments never have the chance to take root, children don’t have stable relationships they need to heal.  

Children growing up in institutional care are at risk of delayed development, developing mental health disorders and even increased exposure to abuse, exploitation and neglect. 

But at an SOS Village, children have a stable home, a consistent parent, engagement at school, friendships and a sense of belonging in the community—the kind of positive experiences that help children heal from trauma and build resilience.  

Belonging isn't a bonus—it’s an integral part of raising a child with love. 

A child is growing up alone, scared and unprotected. Will you be the one to welcome them into a safe home, loving family and sense of belonging at an SOS Village?  

Welcome a child home and sponsor today

Frequently asked questions

As a village sponsor, you fulfill essential needs for the children you support, including food, clothing, shelter and medical care. However, your gift does so much more—ensuring that all of the children in your sponsored village grow up in nurturing families surrounded by loving caregivers and siblings. Children living in our children’s villages benefit from 75 years of our expertise caring for vulnerable children, including trauma support for children coming from difficult circumstances. The children in your sponsored village also receive quality education and a tailored development plan so they can reach their full potential.

Additionally, your sponsorship gifts strengthen the child’s greater community. We have devoted decades to building lasting relationships with children, families and communities around the world. SOS Children’s Villages schools and medical clinics service children in our families as well as other children and families in the area. Additionally, vocational programs teach job skills to children, youth and adults from our children’s villages and the surrounding community so they can earn an income and eventually become self-reliant. 

After signing up to sponsor a village, you will receive a mailed welcome package within 2-3 weeks containing information about your sponsored village, details about the lives of the children who live there, how we help children and families in that country and your first photo of the village. Each year, we’ll mail you two updates about how the children in the village are thriving.

Yes, many of our villages allow sponsors to visit! Protecting the rights, dignity and privacy of the children in our care is of paramount importance, and our visit policies and guidelines are critical to ensuring child safeguarding in our villages. Due to strict child protection laws and varying local policies, not all visit requests can be accommodated.

If you are interested in visiting the village or child you sponsor, please contact SOS Children’s Villages USA at sponsors@sos-usa.org or 1-888-767-4543 two to four months prior to your preferred visit date. We’ll walk you through our visit guidelines and coordinate with the village to ensure they have time to safely prepare for your visit. All visit requests must be made through SOS Children Villages USA—please do not directly contact the village. 

Prior to receiving approval for your visit, you will:

  1. Undergo a background check conducted by SOS USA. This is required for all potential visitors over age 18, regardless of security clearance or prior background checks.
  1. Read our safeguarding policies, and sign our visitor’s guide to confirm your understanding.
  1. Conduct a pre-visit phone call with a member of our team to review our policies and answer any questions you may have.

Please note, for the safety of the children in our care:

 - You may only visit the village you sponsor or where your sponsored child lives.

- Groups larger than three individuals will not be permitted to visit.

- Villages have the right to decline visitors at any time for the safety and well-being of the children in their care.

- We cannot guarantee you will be able to meet your sponsored child due to availability, the child's comfortability and village-specific safety guidelines.

No. Unlike the cold, clinical approach of institutional care, an SOS Village is built around family-like homes, where children stay with their siblings and are raised by a consistent, loving parent. 

No. SOS Children’s Villages focuses on giving children a stable childhood and lasting family through long-term care. But compassionate people like you are essential to children’s happy, healthy and loving childhood. By sponsoring a child, you can build a special relationship with a child and deliver the safe, loving home and critical support—like nutritious food, education and healthcare—they need to thrive.  

For just $38 a month, you can be the one to welcome a child into a safe home, loving family and help provide all the resources and support they need to thrive. Plus, as a sponsor, you have the unique opportunity to build a relationship with a brave child as they grow up with your support.  

Learn more about our work

 

Caring for children

Together, we can ensure every child grows up in a loving family. Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, loving home with everything they need to thrive. Yet 220 million children—one in ten worldwide—are at risk of growing up alone, without the nurturing care and protection of a parent or caregiver.

Building strong families

We work directly with vulnerable families to address the root causes of family separation and prevent the crisis before it occurs. Our locally staffed, community-based programs help families create stable, loving environments where children can thrive.

Emergency response

During crises, children face unimaginable challenges—enduring extreme distress that leaves them vulnerable to anxiety, PTSD and other mental health challenges. These crises disrupt their education, increases their likelihood of never finishing school and exposes them to life-threatening injuries.

Equipping young people

For most young people, the transition to independence happens gradually. Families provide ongoing emotional, financial and practical support into their early 20s, so young people have the solid foundation they need to thrive.